Pustynki. Holy Dormition Monastery.

The Holy Dormition Monastery was founded in 1380 by the ancestor of the Mstislavl princes, Prince Lugven Olgerdovich. The origin of the monastery is connected with an interesting legend, according to which, when one day Prince Lugven fell ill and began to lose his eyesight, he had a dream about a water source in Pustynki. When the prince woke up, he went to the spring, washed his eyes with this water, and soon his eyesight returned. The first thing he saw was the image of the Mother of God. As a sign of gratitude, Lugven decided to build a monastery and a chapel on this site.

In 1563, during the Livonian War, some of the novice monks were killed, while the other part was forced to flee. Then the temple was empty for a long time. It was Orthodox until 1601, and since 1605 it has belonged to the Uniate Church. In the period from 1801-1808, the renovated construction of the stone temple took place. In 1839, the church was returned to the Orthodox Church, and from that time on, the monastic community began to recover. However, the condition of the temples and monastery buildings was depressing and it was necessary to raise funds for their revival, which began only in 1863. In 1864, the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built.

After the 1917 revolution, the complex was not damaged, and in 1925 an orphanage was established in it. In the summer of 1942, German troops stayed here. During the Second World War, nothing was destroyed, and in the post-war period, the walls of the monastery again sheltered orphaned children.

The monastery complex was severely damaged during the propaganda of atheism by the Soviet government: walls and roofs were partially dismantled, windows were removed, floors were blown up and furnaces were destroyed.

It was only in 2003 that work began on the restoration of the buildings.

During the renovation work carried out by the monks, the face of Christ imprinted on the wall was found under the plaster in one of the buildings. Experts have determined that this is a miraculously created image of the Savior.

In 2005, a significant event took place - the first monastic tonsure took place in the Holy Dormition Monastery. Since that time, daily services have been held here.

Today, Pustynki is a quiet and magical place that pilgrims and believers like to visit, as well as all concerned people who want to touch the shrine and the inexhaustible grace of this area with beautiful nature.

The most magnificent building of the monastery is the multi-tiered bell tower, built in the second half of the 19th century, with a height of 58.6 meters.

Below in the ravine is the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin. Next to it is a baptismal font with healing water, the temperature of which is 4 °C at any time of the year.

By all means come to this wonderful place!