Historic Ukrainian monastery—sheltering hundreds of refugees—narrowly escapes destruction after Russian air strike

The Orthodox Christian monastery of Sviatohirsk in eastern Ukraine is providing shelter for hundreds of local civilians after this key religious and historical site narrowly escaped destruction by a Russian bomb on Saturday evening.

The Holy Mountains Lavra (the monastery) is set on a wooded hillside above the River Donets and dates back to the early 17th century. The present buildings were mainly erected in the 1840s, funded by the Russian family of Prince Potemkin, with its cathedral consecrated in 1868. Its treasures include 14th-century icons and the relics of St John the Hermit.

On the eve of the 1917 Russian Revolution the monastery housed 600 monks, but the Bolsheviks converted the buildings into a sanatorium. Following Ukrainian independence in 1991 the site was re-established as a monastery, now with 100 monks.

Yesterday, the monastic authorities issued a statement claiming that a bomb had exploded 50m from a nearby bridge: “As a result of the terrible force of the explosion, window frames were blown out of the church.” Several people were injured. During the raid more than 500 monks and local residents (including 200 children) took shelter, crammed together in the cellars of the monastery.

The monastery's bishop, Metropolitan Arseny, commented yesterday: “The leadership of the Lavra states that there were no military formations on the land of the monastery and the city of Sviatohirsk. The blow was dealt to a peaceful city.”