Holy Dormition Pskovo-Pechersky Monastery

Pechory, Russia, Russia

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The Holy Dormition Pskovo-Pechersky Monastery in Pechory, Russia, is one of Russia's oldest cave monasteries, founded in 1473 when St. Jonah (Shesnik) consecrated the first Dormition Church carved into a hillside near ancient hermit caves. It flourished in the 16th century under Abbot Cornelius with additions like the Annunciation and St. Nicholas Churches, a stone belfry, and fortified walls with bastions housing up to 200 monks, serving as a western border stronghold. Uniquely never closed by Soviet authorities—unlike all other Russian men's monasteries—it became a spiritual haven, sheltering thousands in its extensive underground necropolis where over 10,000 monks remain incorrupt. Post-WWII restoration under Archimandrite Alipi revived its five-domed Intercession Church, St. Michael's Cathedral, towering gates like the six-tiered Upper Gates, and vibrant architecture amid scenic hills.