Tour description

Women monastery of Nativity of the Holy mother was founded in 1881 by Kapnists family to own the homestead in Kozelshchyna. That year Maria Kapnist was believed to be healed through the prayers to family icon of the Holy mother. The chapel was elevated to the wondermaking icon so, the suffering strangers could come and ask the Holy mother for her help. Due to the donations of believers and Kapnists family funds for the church development were raised. In 1882 wooden temple in honour of Nativity of the Holy mother was elevated. It was a cross joint to belfry. The first nuns to develop women sanctuary on the land gifted by duke Volodymyr Kapnist came to Kozelshchyna in 1886. In 10 years local community set up icon-painting and parish schools as well as nun dormitory, brick factory, and running water. In 1903 the stone temple of Nativity of the Virgin was elevated to the project of architect Serhiy Nosov on monastery hill. The architectural masterpiece is a neo-Byzantine cross joint to graduate belfry, and a five-dome with a dominating dome on light drum. The temple composition represents shapes and architectural elements of Byzantine style, and its walls are covered with brick decoration. In 1929 the Monastery stopped functioning, was robbed and its auxiliary buildings turned economic premises. In 1942–1949 the sanctuary was staying reopened. The Monastery returned to Church in 1990 and wondermaking icon was back to the temple. Since April 1984 the Cathedral of Nativity of the Virgin has been under governmental protection and approved as an architectural monument of local importance.