Stradch

Stradch cave near the village of Stradch is one of the main shrines of Ukrainian Greek Catholics.

According to legend, the cave monastery on Stradch Hill was founded in the 11th century by monks coming from Kyiv. According to one of the versions, the monastery is mentioned in the Ipatiev Chronicle as the Cave of Domazhiriv (the village of Domazhiriv is located nearby). The monastery consisted of an entrance gallery with a length of 40 meters, corridors with a total length of 270 meters and several cells located at a depth of 20 meters. At the top of the mountain there was a fortified settlement.

During the Mongol-Tatar invasion, the inhabitants of the surrounding settlements hid in the caves. Once the Tatars discovered the monastery and ordered the monks to betray the people who were hiding. When they refused, the monks were killed, big fires were lit at the cave entrances, and all the people suffocated from the smoke. They say that after hearing the pleas of the dying, the Mother of God descended from heaven, stood before the Tatars and said: "Don't touch! The wall!". Because the dark will has power only over bodies, but not over Christian souls.

In the 15th century, the Stradch Pechersk Lavra was founded, the main shrine of which was the miraculous icon of the Stradch Mother of God of the Immovable Wall (a copy has been preserved). Since the 16th century, the Stradch monastery has been known as the Basilian monastery.

In 1936, the Way of the Cross was founded on Stradch Hill, which was granted the status of Jerusalem by Pope Pius XI.

Visiting the cave temple is free, but it is advisable to have a flashlight with you.