The Church of Saint Pantelejmon

On a steep slope of the small hill over the river Rika, the suburbs of town Hust, in the village of Kolesarovo, there is a church of St. Pantelejmon which is hidden by the trees from the eyes of the drivers who are coming from a by-pass road.

To get to the monastery’s territory is better on foot as the steep road sometimes almost disappears, leaving just a trace of the small stones on the ground. By walking through the small woods, then through meadows and edges of the woods we find ourselves at the entrance of the territory.



Greenery, trees, bushes and grass are all around. The church of St. Pantelejmon is also situated in a small hole and disappearing from the view...



The monastery founder is father Melety (originally: Michael Rushchak) from the town of Hust, who at one point went few times as a pilgrim in Afon in Russian monastery. In 1931 he was sanctified by bishop Josif as a farther and was appointed as a priest. After getting all necessary permits, Melety has settled in the cave he dug out in the limits of Kolesarevo (old name Kamen’, ukr. Kamin’) and began a secluded life. After some time a resident from the town Hust, who owned a plot on the top of the hill over the river, has offered it to Melety in order to build a monastery. Again Melety got all the necessary permits and started to build a small cell and a chapel. After some time a spirit of Jesus Christ appeared to Melety near the cell and this made him to continue building and as the result of it was a wooden church of St. Pantelejmon, which was blessed in 1936.

Below – it’s picture in 1950s from the book of M. Sirohman.



A building which has 5 cells and a chapel was added to the church. In 1948 the church was recognised officially. Later on in 1952 the monastery was closed, the wooden churched was removed from the registration and in 1961 it was dismantled. 30 years had passed and the monastery headed by archimandrite Dionisy started to operate again. In 1998 building of a new stone church was finished.



Pay attention to the tower where there are traces of recent bell installation...



Together with the building of the new stone church wooden houses-cells were repaired, the building of the church Iconi Iverskoj Bozhej Materi (ukr. Iconi Tverskoj Bozhoi Materi) and cave temple of Iova Pechersky (ukr. Jova Pecherskogo) were started.

On the picture below – church yard with old houses.



And those are – distant monastery’s footpaths. There are a lot of old buildings and shabby church utensils around...



…old cells on the background of the modern church domes...

10.02.2011. 14:31

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