Holy mountain grabarka. Panorama of Hill of Crosses (Grabarka)

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Hill of Crosses Grabarka(Polish Święta Góra Grabarka - Holy Mountain Grabarka) is an Orthodox shrine and a place of pilgrimage in Poland. Coordinates -

In historical documents, the first mention of Mount Grabarka, however, under a different name, refers to 1710. According to legend, during the plague that raged then, the sick were healed by the water of its holy spring. And besides, one of the local residents had a revelation that prompted them to go up to Grabarka in a religious procession and, after serving a prayer service, set up the brought crosses there. So they did, after which the epidemic began to wane. By the end of the year, as a sign of gratitude, a chapel was erected on the mountain.

Mount Grabarka is located in Melnitskaya Forest, not far from the city of Siemiatych (Polish Siemiatycze), next to the settlement of Grabarka, from which it got its name. It is a wooded, rather extensive hill. By the way, in the copse surrounding Grabarka, there are several clearings where pilgrims stop in summer with tents.

At the foot of the hill, even before the gate, there is an old spring. Just outside the gate, a wide staircase leads to the very top. And at the top, in a pine forest, as if sprouted with crosses, there is a small wooden Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

Near the monastery, at the top of the Holy Mountain, there is a revered Orthodox cemetery.

It is generally accepted that the tradition of the procession, with some interruptions, has been living for more than two hundred years. In 1980 it was renewed by the Brotherhood of Orthodox Youth. Now this is a major international action, where Russian believers are constantly participating.

On August 19, 2012, on the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, the Divine Liturgy was served at the Martha and Mary Convent on the Holy Mountain

Mount Grabarka is a holy place that pilgrims from all over Poland and neighboring countries come to worship. On especially large church holidays, processions are held here, during which believers walk from neighboring villages, and the distance to the mountain is sometimes more than 100 km, and carry heavy wooden crosses on their shoulders. All these crucifixes will be installed in the forest on the mountain and will remain there until they decay and are replaced by other crosses. This custom has been around for over 200 years. A short break in the solemn ceremonies came immediately after the Second World War, when the communists came to power in Poland. This lull continued until 1980. The religious procession was resumed by the guys from the Orthodox Youth Organization.

The mountain, overgrown with pines and lined with crucifixes, is sometimes called the Cross. The Church of the Transfiguration of Christ was built on it, around which believers move on their knees with their crosses.

For the first time, the holiness of Mount Grabarka was mentioned in written sources in 1710. On the mountain there was a spring with healing water, which helped from the epidemic that struck the inhabitants of the surrounding villages. It has survived to this day. It is worth looking for it not at the very top, but at the foot of the mountain. A small rotunda was erected over the spring, protecting the water from dirt and dust.

Another legend says that a local peasant, guided by his visions, raised crosses up the mountain and served a prayer service there. The terrible pestilence immediately ceased. Since then, it has become customary to go to Mount Grabarka in a procession.

Excerpts from the article

Grabarka is a small mountain in the east of Poland, next to Belovezhskaya Pushcha, a very picturesque place sanctified by the Lord's presence. Several centuries ago, Orthodox Christians fled here during a terrible epidemic in Europe. For some of them, the Providence of God was revealed to cross the stream that goes around Grabarka, bathe in it and wait out the epidemic on this mountain. Since then, countless pilgrims have been visiting Grabarka, wiping themselves with water from a spring, and damming up the local Marfo-Mariinsky convent, which was erected on the site of a wooden chapel of the 18th century. In memory of their stay on the holy mountain and in gratitude to God, Christians have preserved the ancient tradition of leaving wooden crosses on Grabarka. Pilgrims bring them with them - large and small - and set them around the Transfiguration Church, the main temple of the monastery. There are a lot of crosses here. Real forest. And this, of course, is impressive.

It is especially solemn here on the patronal feast: thousands of pilgrims, as pilgrims are called in Poland, gather on Grabarka to meet the procession coming from Bialystok. It must be said that East End Poland is inhabited by ethnic Belarusians and Ukrainians, they make up those few percent of the Orthodox population that exists in this country, although they have already fully integrated into Polish society, retaining their faith and some cultural traditions. So, Bialystok is one of the few Polish cities where part of the inhabitants profess Orthodoxy. The religious procession to Grabarka starts from one of the city churches and goes 100-150 km through villages with an Orthodox population. In total, about a thousand people take part in the procession, the vast majority of whom are young people. In front, a huge wooden cross, or even two crosses, is carried on their shoulders, then pilgrims go with their smaller crosses. The column is divided into groups, each with its own flag of a certain color, so that there is no disorganization. During the procession along the roadway of the city, the Polish authorities additionally allocate accompanying cars with flashing lights. Throughout the procession in different parts chants are heard in columns, many take songbooks with them and sing along with open books. As I helped carry the main cross, I was followed by a group of young people chanting the Jesus Prayer. At such moments, it is especially felt how a person is cleansed and sanctified. There is a strict Assumption fast, heat, sweat, the cross slips off the shoulders - and in the midst of this, an encouraging prayer. Of course it's unforgettable.

-What language do pilgrims speak and how do they find a common language?

Basically, communication takes place in Polish, which, in general, is understandable to representatives of other Slavic peoples, especially Belarusians and Ukrainians. Earlier, when Poland was part of the "socialist camp", Russian was taught in schools, so older generation remembers him more or less. For example, sermons in churches are often delivered in Russian. Services are performed in Church Slavonic and Polish. But the main thing that unites in the pilgrimage is the catholicity of the procession and the daily liturgy. Every evening we stopped in some village, read in the temple evening prayers, in the morning, many took communion - and with renewed vigor continued their five-day journey. Any religious procession is, first of all, the spirit of asceticism. After all, we repeat the way of the cross of Christ, imitate Him, publicly confess our faith, and all our Orthodox prayers were international.

-How were you received by the locals during the stops? How do Orthodox Christians live in Poland??

On my first night, I was in the company of a Finn Teppo from the Finnish Orthodox Church, a German Nikolos from Switzerland, who goes to Orthodox services in Milan, which is closest to him, an American of Polish origin Danuta, a Russian woman Anna from Ivanovo and a Catholic Pavel from Warsaw, who came to the Orthodox procession because he had heard a lot about him. We were placed in an Orthodox family, which, as I understand it, is engaged in small business. They have a small farm, a house, a car. They did not complain about their financial situation, although it cannot be said that they live in clover. They treated us to simple ordinary food, they were glad to see us, such guests are rare. The villages here are not very large, young people leave for the city and more and more old people stay. At each stop they met us and after the prayer service they treated us to bread, apples and whatever God would send. Some villagers came to pick us up for the night by car. One grandmother did not get the pilgrims, so she cried, knocked on the windows of the house where the guests were accommodated, so two Belarusians had to leave their group and spend the night with her. Then they said that this elderly woman, living in poverty, was specially preparing for the meeting of the procession, from the last money she prepared a very modest dinner, designed strictly for two people, because she could not do more. Another woman did not get the pilgrims at all, then she begged for their shoes to dry after a heavy rain. It was very touching and almost the entire procession, our eyes were filled with tears. I personally felt sorry for the Polish Orthodox youth, of which there were many and not always in the villages young pilgrims could find a place for themselves - they slept in tents or somehow, often half-starved. Out of solidarity, I wanted to join them, but we were guests and did not strongly contradict our special reception.

- What do you remember most from the pilgrimage??
- In addition to the intense religious procession and a warm welcome from the locals, one of the priests, Father Vlodek, held catechetical talks with the pilgrims. The youth sat down on the floor of the church or in the clearing and listened attentively, without interrupting. Then questions were asked. Everything was very calm, quiet, kind. The conversations resembled the dialogues of Met. Anthony of Surozh with youth - the same refined, rich interesting images, although I did not understand everything in Polish ... Already in Kyiv, I learned that Fr. Vlodek Misiyuk in the recent past - general secretary The World Union of Orthodox Youth "Syndesmos", and the general secretariat of the organization for some time was in Bialystok, in the midst of a youth environment.
There were funny cases. For example, during one stop, seminarians from Ivanovo, who usually sang at the liturgy, began to swing on a hanging bench, and suddenly abruptly tipped over on the grass right in their cassocks - everyone began to clap for such a funny moment. And also, when I was carrying the front part of the cross along the road, those walking behind commanded in Polish to turn left. I don’t know why, I turned right, although in Polish “left” and “right” are pronounced the same as in ours. This caused a good laugh, and from further remarks in Polish, I understood that the escorts were discussing which country I came from.
And the most unexpected, solemn and, probably, difficult moment was the completion of the procession on the eve of the holiday. When the procession approached the Transfiguration Church on Grabarka, everyone fell down and, singing the troparion, walked around the church three times on their knees. Many cried. I remember one married couple - elderly people, dressed in an old-fashioned way, but in a festive way, hold on to each other and slowly, as soon as the old people can, move around the earth. Nearby are children, teenagers, youth... and everyone carries their own little cross. Everyone who comes to Grabarka - people of different ages and social status - diligently walks around their shrine. Such a tradition exists in Orthodox Poland. True, I still have a scuff on my knee and my jeans lie in the washing machine. But I will never forget this procession.

Then on the mountain there was a hoisting of a cathedral cross, near which many left their crosses. Then they solemnly welcomed Metropolitan Savva, Primate of the Polish Orthodox Church. Several liturgies were served at night and in the morning, the priests conducted round-the-clock confession. The holiday ended with a solemn dinner at the Metropolitan, which was attended by hundreds of guests from abroad, the Polish minister, ambassadors and other important people. I remember lunch because there were many delicious fish, and I got hungry during the post.

-What other shrines, besides Grabarka, have you visited in Poland??

In Bialystok, there are relics of the holy youth-martyr Gabriel (+1690) very revered in Poland. They were transferred many times from one city to another, which is why this saint has many names - Gabriel Belostotsky, also known as Zabludovsky, Slutsky, Zverkovsky. Now his body is in the Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Bialystok.
12 km from Bialystok stands the Annunciation Suprasl Lavra of the 15th century with catacombs. This is a very majestic building, reminiscent of Athos monasteries. Once the Suprasl Lavra was part of the Kyiv Metropolis, and its inhabitants were monks from Kyiv. Today, the “graduates” of the Lavra are three bishops of the Polish Church. Lavra gave rise to Suprasl - a small picturesque town. From here the famous Suprasl Icon of the Mother of God traces its history.
During the pilgrimage, we had to spend the night in a small cozy monastery of Demetrius of Thessalonica in Saki. It was created recently, the brethren bought the abandoned building of the village school and now they work here and receive pilgrims. We met the abbot of the monastery, he is a very simple, reasonable person, with whom it was interesting to communicate.
Even in Poland there is the city of Czestochowa, where the icon of the Mother of God is known and revered by Orthodox and Catholics. But we weren't there, it's a completely different side of Poland, closer to Germany.
In general, each rural church, where we stopped for a prayer service during the procession, has an original history. Many of them survived the years of World War II, were destroyed and rebuilt after the collapse of the Soviet system. Their simple interior attracts attention. For example, in one of these temples there are icons of the 16th century. We would have some exquisite lamps, crosses hanging near them, but here they are like ordinary ordinary icons, you won’t immediately pay attention. Simplicity and uncomplicatedness is generally distinguishing feature Polish Orthodox.

Hill of Crosses Grabarka (Holy Mountain Grabarka) is an Orthodox shrine and a place of cross pilgrimage in Poland.

Location and description

In historical documents, the first mention of Mount Grabarka, however, under a different name, refers to 1710:11. According to legend, during the plague that raged then, the sick were healed by the water of its holy spring. And besides, one of the local residents had a revelation that prompted them to go up to Grabarka in a religious procession and, after serving a prayer service, set up the brought crosses there. So they did, after which the epidemic began to wane. By the end of the year, as a token of gratitude, a chapel was erected on the mountain. Mount Grabarka is located in the Melnitskaya Forest, not far from the town of Siemiatych (Polish Siemiatycze), next to the settlement of Grabarka, from which it got its name. It is a wooded, rather extensive hill. By the way, in the copse surrounding Grabarka, there are several clearings where pilgrims stop in summer with tents. At the foot of the hill, even before the gate, there is an old spring. Just outside the gate, a wide staircase leads to the very top. And at the top, in a pine forest, as if sprouted with crosses, stands a small wooden Temple Transfiguration of the Lord. In 1947, the Orthodox Marfa-Mariinsky Convent was founded on the mountain. From this moment on, there official name- Holy Mountain Grabarka, and sometimes the Museum of Prayer, but the people still use just Grabarka:10. Near the monastery, at the top of the Holy Mountain, there is a revered Orthodox cemetery.

Pilgrimage

Every year, an Orthodox procession moves from Bialystok to the Holy Mountain Grabarka for three days, growing along the way with new pilgrims. On August 19, on the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, those who have mastered the way of the cross with almost the entire staff, to the singing of the troparion and with the crosses brought, go around on their knees three times around the Temple located on the top. There they erect their Crosses: 41-45. It is generally accepted that the tradition of the procession, with some interruptions, has been living for more than two hundred years. In 1980 it was renewed by the Brotherhood of Orthodox Youth. Now this is a major international action, where Russian believers are constantly participating:44.

The 1990 fire and its aftermath

In 1990, at night, from July 12 to 13, the Transfiguration Church on the Holy Mountain was set on fire:59. Despite the efforts of firefighters who quickly appeared, nothing could be defended, and the Temple burned to the ground. Many shrines that were in it perished. The perpetrator turned out to be a local resident, who thus vented his anger for failing to steal the monastery's car. Earlier, he was already serving a sentence for theft, that is, he turned out to be a recidivist. After the arson, the wooden Temple was rebuilt. However, the incident received a significant response, drew notable attention to the Holy Mountain, and ultimately helped its further beautification. Among other things, in 1998, thanks to donations, it was possible to surround the Holy Mountain of Grabarka with a solid stone wall and equip it with sliding gates. Grabarka, as it were, separated from the world and now fully corresponds ...