Sayan temple. Abandoned place "Syana Caves"

The Syana caves are located approximately 40 kilometers from Moscow near the village of Starosyanovo and are considered one of the largest underground systems in Russia - the largest in the Moscow region and the 5th largest in the country. Most often, the appearance of caves dates back to the 18th century, around then the extraction of white stone began here for the construction of “White Stone Moscow” - fortresses, temples and chapels.

The development of caves continued until the twentieth century. and completely ceased by 1917. In the 1960s, the caves became a popular place among spelestologists, but in 1974, the authorities filled up all the entrances to the system. However, in 1988, one of the entrances was opened again.

As a tourist site the caves became accessible thanks to their “inhabitants” - spelestologists and diggers. It was they who repaired and cleared most of Syana's entrances and premises.

Over the years of cave exploration, it has developed its own internal life. Some enthusiasts spend many days and even weeks underground due to high humidity - mainly in winter. In the grottoes you can find tables and chairs, places for bedrooms, and various containers for collecting water. Sometimes discos and rock concerts are held in Sjany.

Exist detailed maps moves and the sights of Syan, many tunnels and rooms are given very poetic names - “The Three Little Pigs”, “Pike Eye”, you can often find “indecent” names. Basically they correspond to signs and drawings, objects and inscriptions on the walls of caves.

Main attractions: Gromov's Grotto, "Aristarchus", "Smoking Room", "The Master and Margarita", "Venus's Eye", "Pike", "Phantom", Winter Palace.

Aristarchus is a local “deity”, which is not a completely complete skeleton. He acceptedbring "gifts".

“Temple” decorated with icons and candles. There are sheets of prayers and church books. This grotto was once evenblessed by the priest.

On the left bank of the Pakhra River near the village of Novlenskiye Vyselki is the most famous in the Moscow region anomalous zone artificial origin - “Syana Caves”.

The caves appeared in the 18th century, when white stone began to be mined here for the construction of temples and fortresses. The material for strengthening the airport in Domodedovo was also taken from here, after which the mining was stopped. The total length of the caves lying at a depth of 30 meters once exceeded 90 kilometers, the height of the drifts was up to 3.5 meters. By now, the abandoned caves had partially collapsed; they were completely closed to visitors in 1969 after a child went missing here.

In 1988, enterprising Moscow students opened the entrance, calling it the Cat's Manhole. The youth began to look after the condition of the vaults and little by little unearth some of the littered corridors. Regular visitors to this strange place began to call themselves “system specialists”, and the labyrinth of caves - “system”. This word refers not only to numerous caves, but also to a system of behavior, rituals and myths that quickly emerged. System engineers have become a popular youth movement.

Most of the drifts accessible for passage are now numbered, marked on the map and have their own names, replete with humor and an excess of student imagination: “Stop of the first carriage”, “The Three Little Pigs”, “SS-20”, etc. On the second Sunday In September, several hundred fans of the original song and speleologists gather in the Syan caves for the opening of the season.

Visitors sometimes include careless novices or tipsy speleologists who get lost in the maze. Therefore, everyone entering the Syan caves is required to note in a special journal the time of their arrival and the expected time of exit. Usually, all those who get lost are found by amateur speleologists. But occasionally state rescue services have to be called for help. This happened in 1998, when the system specialists themselves were unable to find their comrade, and only professional mine rescuers from the Ministry of Emergency Situations found the terrified “fugitive” in a remote drift on the third day of the search.

Legends of Syanovsky Caves

In addition to the usual legends of Russian caves about “white” and “black” ghost speleologists, the Syan labyrinths also have their own characteristics. According to local belief, the very narrow and long drift “Pike Manhole” restores in those who were able to overcome it the memory of the moment of their birth from their mother’s womb. And in the galleries, painted in the spirit of surrealism based on the novel “The Master and Margarita,” there is the spirit of Woland himself. In one cave, a “TV” from the Stone Age, built from stones and bones, is unexpectedly discovered.

In the central drift on big stone made of limestone sits the local “deity” - an incomplete skeleton named Aristarchus, near which cheerful students place their gifts. It is not known exactly how Aristarchus got underground, but there are several heartbreaking assumptions. Once upon a time there was another one near this skeleton, presumably a girlfriend. This little skeleton disappeared one stormy Friday night - or so the story goes. Although there is something else - it claims that a famous speleologist was identified in the remains, and he was buried with honors. But this is all mythology: how it really happened is unknown.

Magic Grotto "Milky Way"

The most beautiful place The Syan caves are deservedly considered the Milky Way grotto. The vault of this cave reflects the light of lanterns with thousands of lights. And if you turn off the flashlights, the ceiling glows for some time. This grotto is quite difficult to access, but it is worth a visit - it is an unusually beautiful sight. Regulars affectionately call this grotto “Mlechnik”. And everyone is unequivocal in their assessment that the Milky Way is the temple of Syan, here the higher mind talks to a person. Some even believe that the entrance to other worlds is hidden in this grotto; here you can make your wishes come true - and they come true. Even the biggest skeptics agree that this is one of the most unusual places on Earth, and his secret will never be understood.

A visit to the Syan caves will give you new sensations and will not leave anyone indifferent. But you shouldn’t go there without a guide - after half an hour you can get lost in the dark and dream of only one thing - getting out into the light.

Building material for the fortresses and temples of white-stone Moscow was mined here. IN Soviet time Stone was transported from here to strengthen the runways; during the war, a hospital was located here, and after that a seismic station. In 1974, the entrances to Syany were filled up (according to official version, a child disappeared there). By this time the system underground passages exceeded 90 km.

The re-exploration of the caves began in 1988, when a group of Moscow students, at their own risk, excavated one of the entrances - the “Cat's Lair”. By this time, the abandoned cave had been reduced to 19 km, but still remained the largest underground system in the Moscow region. Now the Syans are well-trodden grottoes and manholes equipped for various purposes. There's one here Orthodox church with painted walls, a concert venue and something like a hostel - rooms with chairs and sleeping places.

Regular visitors to Syan call themselves “systemists,” following the example of the once powerful Soviet hippie movement. The cave has its own subculture with traditions, rules, myths and rituals. Every second Sunday in September, system specialists celebrate the opening of a new season. Newcomers are brought to an audience with the guardian of the caves - Aristarchus, who is an old overall with a human skull attached to it. It is customary to appease the Guardian with gifts in order to enlist his help in his underground wanderings. As a dedication, the “young Syanovites” are offered to squeeze through the narrowest holes (Pike and Pocket). So it’s better not to overeat before the descent, so as not to find yourself in the position of Winnie the Pooh, who went to visit and found himself in a hopeless situation.

The cave maintains a constant temperature of +10 degrees, so when going there, dress warmly and casually. Before you decide to visit Syany, be sure to find a good guide. Fortunately, finding it is not a problem now; there are many options for excursions on various websites and VKontakte. It is important that your guide not only knows his way around the dungeons, but also is a good storyteller, because the “system specialists” have a lot interesting legends. The most popular of them are about the White caver and the mysterious Two-Face, who sometimes helps out of trouble good people, and sometimes lures them into traps.

Visiting Syany is an interesting adventure. It’s easy to breathe here, despite the high humidity, but be prepared for the fact that there may be many people of completely different groups in the caves. You should also follow safety precautions when visiting quarries: do not remove stones from the rubble and vault. Be sure to take two flashlights (main and spare) with you on your hike, as well as food and water just in case. And before you go, tell your loved ones where you are going.

You can get to the Syana caves from the Domodedovskaya metro station by taking any bus going to the village of Leninskie Gorki.

On August 25, a group of pilgrims of 40 people made the traditional ascent to the top of Mount Khulugaisha, where 12 years ago the children and adults of the Rodnichki Orthodox camp brought and installed a worship cross. The pilgrimage group was headed by Bishop Maximilian, the founder of Rodnichki, who now heads the Fraternal Diocese, and Hieromonk Konstantin (Manuilov), the head of the Rodnichkov camp. One of the participants in the climb shares her impressions of the hike.

If you are tired on this difficult journey,

If you realized that you lived wrong -

Don’t be sad, don’t worry, but say quietly:

Thank God for everything, thank God for everything -

For coolness and shade and for a sunny day

And for His mercy - glory to God for everything!

You know how usually every event has its own phrase, a couple of lines or a whole song? So these words, familiar to all Rodnichkovites, are the personification of the entire ascent to Mount Khulugaisha.

Every year, according to my favorite tradition, absolutely different people meet in one place with a precious plan - to test their strength and endurance, patience and desire, faith and love. No one can guess what awaits the coming day - the weather, the company, the atmosphere, the incidents - suddenly combine into something whole - which will never happen again.

Each completed stage of a difficult path pushes you to search for life analogies of situations in real life.

It is impossible to convey the inner state of the entire human “I” from the very first five-minute climb up the hill. He so sharply breaks something inside, sowing doubts in the heart and asking the question: “maybe this isn’t worth such effort?”

We need each other so much, passing on the bricks for the construction of the house of Eternity.

As if we hadn’t cooked such a simple stew at a rest stop, carrying everything we needed alone in a backpack ourselves. And so, little by little, we make our neighbor’s world a better place.

After all, without love nothing is needed.

Why do we need each other without warmth?

Why do we need nature without taking care of it?

Why do we need God if not for love?

And now you are already taking the next step, from under which the ground crumbles, continuing the difficult path. And then again the soaked boot is filled with water from a mountain stream. And after the tenth or twentieth turn of the trail, you inevitably stop, and your heart is pounding, as if it’s about to tear your ribs to pieces.

The chest is like a mechanism, the heart is like a bird in a vice, and you realize that small moment, lost among other tests last days life of Christ. The path to Golgotha.

It’s scary to imagine how His exhausted Body begged for instant death, how the wounded Soul asked to get away from here. But He walked, languishing from inner tears for humanity. And we, well-fed, shod and dressed for the weather, can only slightly touch the sacrifice that God showed us.

Winding among the monotonous thread of endless beige-sand-stone slopes, you humbly wait for the long-awaited valley and that lonely, crumbling hut that has already become home after so many years.

Here are the very last pushes to the cherished point of the Earth. You would know how the shaky surface of the stone makes you tremble to your fingertips, and somewhere in your stomach a tight knot is tied when you realize that you have reached it.

And when the forehead humbly touches the faded cross, a happy tear glistens in the corners of the eyes. Thank God for everything. Because, looking down, you feel dizzy with the thought that everything is possible if it’s meant to be. God gives everything within his power - both happiness and sorrow. With Him we can endure everything in our little temple.

This hike is not just a hike, not just a sports test of abilities and internal resources. It's something more. It gives a breath of fresh air for further achievement of virtues and spiritual growth. And that is why this annual event is so important for everyone involved in it.

Suddenly that moment came - you felt in your heart:

What a wonderful world the Lord has created for us.

Hold this bright moment in your heart,

Stand facing the east and say in delight:

Thank God for everything, thank God for everything -

For coolness and shade and for a sunny day,

And for crying and for laughter, and for everything and for everyone,

And for His mercy - glory to God for everything!

Maria Erukhina

Local religious organization Orthodox Parish of the Church of the Annunciation in Sayansk, Irkutsk region, Sayan diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church(Moscow Patriarchate)

Mailing address: 666304 Sayansk, Mr. Blagoveshchensky, 4

Abbot: Priest John Borisyuk

Temple clerics: Deacon Vladimir Chichkov, Deacon Evgeniy Semke, Priest Vladimir Danilko, Priest Vladimir Zavadich, Priest John Gerneshy

Additional information:

In the family of cities in the Angara region, Sayansk is the youngest. It was built in the 70s and 80s of the last century. This is an industrial city, the emergence of which was due to the creation of the largest polyvinyl chloride production enterprise in Russia. According to the master plan, which was developed in Leningrad, Sayansk was to become a large industrial center of the Irkutsk region with a population of 200 thousand people. The builders managed to implement only the first stage of this grandiose project.

According to the Chronicle of Sayansk, on March 17, 1991, the Sacrament of Baptism was performed for the first time in the city. The Sayantsev was baptized by the rector of St. Nicholas Church in the city of Zima, Priest Nikolai Povalsky. On this day, 208 people (including 78 young townspeople) took the vows of Holy Baptism. The Sacrament was performed in the Dolphin pool. A year after this, the official registration of an Orthodox parish took place in Sayansk, the rector of which was Priest Alexy Seredin.

In 1993, the parish began construction of the temple. The Varvara Church of the 16th-17th centuries from the village of Yandomozero in Karelia was used as an architectural model. This is a simple and at the same time harmonious tent-type structure with two high tower domes spaced from each other. The temple bell tower consists of five floors.

The lower chapel is consecrated in honor of Archangel Gabriel, the messenger of the Divine Mysteries. To enter it, you need to go down the stairs to the ground floor. This descent, like the concrete (stone) used in the construction of the chapel, is historically justified. From the history of the Church we know that the first Christians were subjected to severe persecution, so they performed services in caves and catacombs. The setting of the lower aisle of the Annunciation Church reminds of this: going down, you can relate yourself to the first Christians.

The upper aisle is made of calibrated timber. Log calibration equipment was developed by local innovator Vladimir Romashko. Its peculiarity is that the wood processing was carried out using the counter milling method. At opposing speeds, when moving the cutter and the tree, the effect of chopping with an ax was obtained. This is important because if processing is carried out by the movement of only one cutter, then the pores of the wood seem to open, allowing moisture to penetrate. When wood is processed by felling, the pores are closed and the wood becomes impenetrable.

The high ceilings - from 9.5 to 11 meters - give special expressiveness to the space of the upper aisle of the Temple. They were painted by artist Galina Novikova. Another artist Alexander Markov, a gifted master of wood carving, decorated the large iconostasis with filigree decoration. The icons for the iconostasis were made by artists of the Vladimir-Suzdal icon painting school under the direction of Sergei Frolov. The wooden Calvary with the upcoming Siberian saints was made by the inhabitants of the St. Danilov Monastery in Moscow.

Amazingly forged chandelier. Thanks to the delicately forged ligature, it does not seem too heavy, although in fact it weighs 600 kg. This openwork chandelier, as well as the altar railing, lamps, arches and spiral staircase forged and assembled for the choir by Georgy Tarasyuk from the village of Listvyanka.

The temple bell tower consists of five floors, each with an area of ​​100 square meters. Eight bells were cast in Kamensk-Uralsk. The largest weighs 1380 kg. The bells are decorated with ornaments made according to sketches by artist Andrei Vorozheikin.

In 2000, Arkhangelsk church ringing master Vladimir Petrovsky was engaged in hanging bells and training bell ringers. “How well the Temple is located! - he said, sharing his impressions. - Monastery walls, garden, church... A place where you can get away from the hustle and bustle. And the Temple is magnificent! I travel a lot around Russia and I can say that you don’t often see such wooden beauty. Let him be the candle to whose light the townspeople will follow!”

The first service in the temple under construction (in the lower aisle in the name of Archangel Gabriel) was held on Christmas Day 2000. And on February 9, 2003, Archbishop Vadim of Irkutsk and Angarsk, concelebrated by clergy from Irkutsk, Ust-Ilimsk, Kirensk, Zima, Sayansk and other parishes of the Irkutsk diocese, consecrated the church in the name of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

With the formation of the Sayan diocese in 2011, the Annunciation Church became a cathedral.