Cave Monastery

Abstract: during the building in Don Belogorsky Resurrection Monastery a cave which was earlier unknown was found. There were the items of the religious cult and the culture of the founders of the cave that dates from the end of the XVIII century (a crucifi xion, a pendent in the form of a heart, an adze, shoes, a silicic fl ake, candles, a coin etc.). Such fi ndings didn’t occur earlier among numerous chalk caves. Not only do they allow to present the work of the caves’ founders, but also to elicit new aspects that highlight a spiritual quest of the folk eastern orthodox
traditions in the zone of contact of the russian and ukrainian ethnies.

THE NEW ARCHIVE INFORMATION ABOUT CAVES IN GALIEVKA IN PODONYE (REVISITING MOTIVATION OF CAVE DIGGERS AND AUTHORITIES’ ATTITUDE TO THEM). The paper deals with the history of artificial cave in chalk bank of the river Don near Galievka village. It is written on the basis of archive information found by V.V. Stepkin in 2014. There was information about the names of the cave creators: Aleksey Dubov (began digging in 1817) and Miron Gnoevoy (continued digging in 1865). In the letter to tsar Aleksandr II written by peasant Miron Gnoevoy explains motivation of the cave builders by visitation of Holy Mother and saints. The report of archbishop Seraphim published in the article helps understand motivation of the authorities who prohibited the cave building because they were afraid of superstitious beliefs and offense against the law. The article demonstrates the difficult relations inside the developing civil society institutions represented by peasant community of the village of Galievka and the state authority.

Стаття присвячена ґенезі, походженню, проблемам дослідження, типології та атрибуції хрестоподібних петрогліфів з лунками-просвердлинами у печерах Подністров’я. Залучені матеріали багаторічних досліджень автора та широке коло аналогій з Криму та Болгарії.

Ülkemizde ilk olarak 1947 yılında İstanbul Üniversitesinde Sanat Tarihi Kürsüsünün kurulması ve ardından, sırasıyla 1951’de Güzel Sanatlar Akademisi (Sanayi-i Nefise, Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi), 1954 yılında Ankara Dil Tarih Coğrafya Fakültesi ve 1965 yılında Hacettepe Üniversitesi’nde Sanat Tarihi eğitimlerinin verilmeye başlaması ile birlikte yurt içinde ve yurt dışında birçok Türk Sanat Tarihçisi yetiştirilmeye başlamış ve Sanat Tarihine olan ilgi de giderek büyümeye başlamıştır. Nitekim, İstanbul Üniversitesi’nde Sanat Tarihi Bölümünün kurulduğu ilk yıllarda görev yapan Mazhar Şevket İpşiroğlu ile Sabahattin Eyüboğlu ve Paul Moraux’un 1958 yılında birlikte kaleme adlıkları Saklı Kilise: Kapadokya’da Yeni Bulunmuş Bir Kilise  adlı kitap bu anlamda Kapadokya bölgesinde yerli araştırmacıların yaptığı ilk akademik çalışmalarından biri olmuştur. Ayrıca, bu yazımızda değinemediğimiz daha birçok yerli araştırmacı ve onlara ait birçok kapsamlı-önemli çalışmanın varlığını da unutmamak gerekmektedir. Ülkemizde üniversitelerce yürütülen lisansüstü tezler de Kapadokya çalışmalarında bugün önemli bir yer tutmaktadır.
20. yüzyıl başında yabancı araştırmacılarla başlayan Bizans Kapadokya’sı üzerine Sanat Tarihsel çalışmalar; Türkiye’de, 20. yüzyılın ortalarında başlayan Sanat Tarihi eğitiminin giderek yaygınlaşması ve Türk Sanat Tarihçilerin yetiştirilmeye başlaması ile ancak 20. yüzyılın sonlarına doğru mümkün olmuştur.  Bizans kaya yerleşimleri ve duvar resimleri üzerine bir depo konumunda bulunan Kapadokya’ya günümüzde de yerli Sanat Tarihçilerin ilgisi katlanarak artmaktadır. Yukarıda bahsetmiş olduğumuz birçok çalışmaya üniversiteler ve Kültür Bakanlığımız önemli katkılar sağlamıştır. Bu anlamda yerli araştırmacıların daha fazla desteklenmeleri kültür-sanat tarihimize daha fazla katkı sağlanmasına imkan verecektir.

MOTIVATION FOR FOLK CAVE DIGGING
IN EUROPEAN PART OF RUSSIA IN XIX - EARLY XX CENTURIES
The article considers motivation for creation and worshipping of cult caves in European part of Russia within XIX – early XX centuries. The motivation issue for the caves creation is solved in the research with the involvement of new archive sources from the Russian State Historical Archive. The analysis shows the following motives for cave digging development: copying at home of the highly worshipped Christian sacred objects, meeting the sacred, hesychastic practices, attempts to transform personal values on the way of life crisis overcoming through the cave digging labour, fear transformation for the finite nature of human life and creation of protective shelters in the context of Eschatological expectations against the background of traditional lifestyles destruction in course of modernization. The first two motives got the most widespread use. First of all, pilgrims created caves in the native country under influence of visits to Kiev Pechersk Lavra. For instance we can see the transfer of Kiev sacred area to the new ground in construction of Alekseevskaya, Belgorodskaya, Divnogorskaya, Kochetovskaya, Krasnyanskaya, Novokalitvyanskaya, Urjupinskaya caves of river Don Basin. The cave builders, copying elements of Kiev cult catacombs, likened their labour to the Laura’s creators. Labour activity of the cave diggers was directed to spirit development, which originated from early Christian asceticism. Meeting of the sacred in motivation for cult caves creation can be noticed in caves of Voronezhkaya, Tavricheskaya, Tambovskaya, Ufimskaya and some other regions of the Russian Empire. Cult caves creation is in progress nowadays. Separate cave rooms are being dug out, restored and sanctified in the frame of functioning monasteries, some cases of folk cave digging are registered. This factor makes the research actual not only from the historical retrospective point of view but also for understanding of contemporary social processes.

THE CAVE COMPLEX NEAR MECHETKA VILLAGE.
The cave complex is located in the Bobrovskiy district of the Voronezh region. There are 2 caves:  Mechetinsky-1 (Big) and Mechetinsky-2 (Small). There is no information about the history of its construction. Caves were destroyed and now we can not reconstruct its original appearance. Presumably there was a church that could be made by Old Believers.

THE BELOGORSKY CAVE COMPLEX: MORPHOMETRY AND SOCIAL ASPECT.
The Belogorsky cave is one of the largest cult caves of Eastern Europe. It is located in the Voronezh region in 3,3 km from Pavlovsk. The cave is founded in 1796 by Maria Sherstyukova. The cave is 985 m length. This complex includes St. Alexander Nevsky's cave church. In the given article, the results of modern researches of the cave are described.

The objective of the provided research is to reveal the meaning of the cave tunnel architectural elements in The Dormition Divnogorsky Monastery at the Middle Don. We hypothesize upon the objective fulfillment on a symbolic reflection here of Via Crucis (Via Dolorosa), a street in Jerusalem being a symbolic reflection of Jesus Christ's way to his crucifixion. Herewith we address the following issues: 1) clarification of the monument historical background; 2) written sources analysis: pilgrimage to Holy Land description and application of the findings to the architectural elements of caves in Divnogorye. The second task solvation allows opening a new methodological aspect to understand the intended purpose for the numerous underground passages and spaces of ancient cult caves in Russian Plain.
The Dormition Divnogorsky Monastery is located in the area of Tikhaya Sosna inflow into Don. It traces its roots to the middle of XVII century. It was a result of secular and monasterial settlement in the south border of Moscow State by Orthodox Christians native of Western Ukraine. The monks arrived to the new community brought a European tradition of Via Crucis construction. The tradition dates back to XIV century and in XVII century it became widespread in European countries. Initially the Via Crucis had seven symbolic architectural stations, which reflected significant events of the latter day of Jesus Christ's earthly life. The same principle can be seen in the caves of The Divnogorsky Monastery. The first station is outlined by a chapel, it is Pilate’s Trial. This very station starts the Via Crucis in Jerusalem. The stations from two to five are outlined by turns of the underground tunnel, which make a form of a cross on the plan emphasizing the plentitude of suffering on the cross. The second station is the place where Christ met His Blessed Mother. The third station is the place where Christ met Simon of Cyrene. The fourth station is the place where Christ spoke to the women of Jerusalem. The fifth station is the place where the soldiers cast lots for Jesus Christ’s garment. The stations identification was made in accordance with the early European tradition based on the Gospels. The sixths station is Golgotha. Its symbolism can be easily recognized due to the steps leading up and down in the cave tunnel. Besides, the number of the steps is equal to the Church of Resurrection in Jerusalem described by Russian pilgrims Vasiliy Poznyakov and Trifon Korobeynikov in XVI century. The seventh station is the Edicule of the Holy Sepulture. It is clearly symbolized by its hexagonal shape and sepulture carved out in the chalk. The sepulture is positioned in accordance with the present tradition.
The Via Crucis explained hereby is unique and non-typical for Russia, which is strengthened by its underground position. A very important task now is its preservation and further study due to its earlier dating.
Keywords: Divnogorye; pilgrimage to Holy Land; New Jerusalem; Via Crucis; caves.

DIVNOGORSKIE CAVES OF FORES-STEPPE DON REGION ON THE SOUTH RUSSIAN FRONTIER.
Frontier research is a topical issue of scientific discourse, revealing insights into various processes of public life. In the forest-steppe Don region of the South Russian frontier different ethnic and cultural groups and political entities interacted. This factor contributed to emergence of such a phenomenon of spiritual life as a cult cave digging. In the Golden Horde times Divnogorsky cave monastery was created here, which reflected Byzantine influence on Russian-Orda borderlands. 153 Monastery ceased to exist in late 14th century, whereupon it was revived in the mid-17th century, when the region started active development as a result of governmental colonization from central regions of Muscovy and free colonization from the Dnieper area. The region development was important in strengthening of the country South from attacks of the Crimean and Nogai Tatars. The monks from Little Russia, who came here with a Cossack regiment, had already tried the ascetic tradition of cave digging developed at home. In the future, as the Southern border of Russia was moving to the sea, the forest-steppe Don region lost its meaning of political and military frontier, having kept by the 19th century the features of ethnic and cultural frontier within the framework of such European region as Slabozhanshchina. The tradition of veneration of Kiev Pechersk Lavra well developed in Little Russia interacted here with the local tradition of caves cult development, which led to rise of folk cave digging. In Don Divnogorie, in addition to the caves in both Malye and Bolshie Divy, the cult catacombs were also developed in urochishche Shatrishche and near sloboda Seljavnoe. In the forest-steppe Don region in general, by the end of the 19th century, there were about fifty religious caves. In addition to fronted character of the territory the friendly environment - outcropping of white writing chalk - was by no means important. The methodological basis of the study was the historical-genetic method and comparative analysis. Keywords: Southern Russian frontier, forest-steppe Don region, Chervlyony Yar, Diocese of Sarai, Divnogorskie caves, Byzantium, monastic colonization, Voronezh governorate, folk Orthodoxy, the Russian Orthodox Church.

ATHOS AND PODON’E IN THE LATE 19TH AND EARLY 20TH CENTURY: CONTACTS IN CONTEXT OF RESTORATION OF SHATRISHCHEGORSKII CAVE MONASTERY. The paper deals with the interaction between Athos and Podon’e in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in connection with the restoration of Shatrishchegorsky cave monastery St. Tikhon’s University Review. Series II: History. Russian Church History. 2017. Vol. 75. P. 39–54 В. В. Степкин. Афон и Подонье в конце XIX — начале XX в.: контакты в контексте возрождения... 53 in Voronezh guberniya. The analysis of the religious situation in both regions is based on the study of some new sources from the Russian State Historical Archive. These sources show the development of monastic traditions in the region and allow us to give a concrete example. In the late 19th century the monks from Athos Diodor (Kotliarov) and Tikhon (Prisiazhnyi) tried to restore Shatrishchegorskii monastery in Podon’e, which was closed under the Secularising Reform of 1764. Their choice was conditioned by the fact that in the late 19th century undeservedly forgotten holy places of the land of Don were well-known in Athos. The attempt of Diodor and Tikhon failed despite local people’s support. Voronezh regional authorities traditionally did not support communities that were forming within the popular Orthodoxy and aimed to create cave monasteries. Local authorities considered such attempts as potentially leading to the spread of superstitions and schism.

VIA DOLOROSA IN THE CAVES OF THE MALYE DIVY AREA IN THE MIDDLE DON.
The objective of the research is to reveal the meaning of the cave tunnel architectural elements in the Divnogorsky Assumption
Monastery in the Middle Don. The author hypothesizes on a symbolic reflection here of Via Dolorosa (The Way of the Cross), a
street in Jerusalem being a symbolic reflection of Jesus Christ’s way to his crucifixion. Herewith the author addresses the following
issues: 1) clarification of the monument’s historical background; 2) written sources analysis: pilgrimage to the Holy Land description
and application of the findings to the architectural elements of the caves in Divnogorye. The solution of the second task allows opening a new methodological aspect to understand the intended purpose for the numerous underground passages and spaces of ancient
cult caves in the Russian Plain. The Divnogorsky Assumption Monastery is located in the area of the Tikhaya Sosna inflow into the
Don. It traces its roots to the middle of the 17th century. It was a result of a secular and monastery settlement in the south border of
the Moscow State by Orthodox Christians native of Western Ukraine. The monks who came to the new community brought the European tradition of the Via Dolorosa construction. The tradition dates back to the 14th century and in the 17th century it became
widespread in European countries. Initially, the Way of the Cross was seven symbolic architectural stations, which reflected significant events of the last day of Jesus Christ’s earthly life. The same principle can be seen in the caves of the Divnogorsky Monastery.
The first station is outlined by the chapel, it is Pilate’s court. This very station starts the Way of the Cross in Jerusalem. Stations two
to five are outlined by turns of the underground tunnel; they form a cross on the plan emphasizing the plenitude of suffering on the
cross. The second station is the place where Christ met His Blessed Mother. The third station is the place where Christ met Simon of
Cyrene. The fourth station is the place where Christ spoke to the women of Jerusalem. The fifth station is the place where the soldiers
cast lots for Jesus Christ’s garment. The identification of the stations was made in accordance with the early European tradition based
on the Gospels. The sixths station is Golgotha. Its symbolism can be easily recognized due to the steps leading up and down in the
cave tunnel. Besides, the number of the steps is equal to those in the Church of Resurrection in Jerusalem described by Russianpilgrims Vasiliy Poznyakov and Trifon Korobeynikov in the 16th century. The seventh station is the Edicule of the Holy Sepulture. It is
clearly symbolized by its hexagonal shape and sepulture carved out in the chalk rock. The sepulture is positioned in accordancewith
the present tradition. The Way of the Cross explained hereby is unique and non-typical for Russia, which is strengthened by itsunderground position. A very important task now is its preservation and further study due to its earlier dating.

THE ATTITUDE OF CHURCH AUTHORITIES TO THE СAVE DIGGERS IN THE 18TH– 19TH CENTURIES.
The article analyzes official authorities’ attitude to the cave digging tradition that existed in the frame of folk Orthodoxy in the Synodical period of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). Creating catacombs the cave diggers made a peculiar spatial and temporal transfer of revered sacred underground loci of medieval times to the village area of the peasants’ day. It is emphasized in the article that this type of people’s religious commitment, not conforming with the new shaping up European culture, was rejected by the establishment. Synodal files kept in Russian State Historical Archive are used as information sources in the research. The legal arrangements of authorities to implement a system of sanctions against representatives of underground living ascetic practices, developing among peasants, are indicated upon studying the sources. Relying on the working legislation the Synodal structures typically blamed the cave diggers for superstition, illegal candles selling, alms collection, suspected them of sectarianism, of secreting criminals…Sometimes such blaming was appropriate, but more often they were incompetent. At the same time the authorities backfilled caves entrances, fined the cave diggers arresting their leaders. These actions were to bring down the energy of people’s religious commitment directing it to a more controllable way of parish living in the Russian Orthodox Church. In addition, as the authorities thought, the linear type of sacred village area with multiple peoples’ cult objects was to transfer to a homocentric one, when spiritual life had to center around the official temple. Not always these actions were fruitful. For instance, the builders of Belogorye caves in Don region Исторические науки 223 after great persecution managed to transfer their community into an authorized monastery. The author comes to conclusion that the caves honoring in the frame of folk Orthodoxy as well as springs honoring was an organic part of traditional culture. In view of this, in spite of all the pressure of Synodical Orthodoxy cave digging kept developing among people reproducing respected medieval sacred locus in the village area. The process of cave digging had its major development among people in 19th century when sanctions against disseminators of tales about “false wonders” and “pseudo-holy” sites became not so strict as they used to be in 18th century. In this period the greatest number of caves were created in Voronezh region which had the best natural and geographical conditions for it — exposure of chalk rocks at hills of Don valley. The following caves considered in the article were dug there: Belogorskaya, Galievskaya, Gorokhovskaya, Selyavinskaya and Shatrishchegorskaya. Only by the mid-20th century after peasant communities as a folk Orthodoxy bearer disintegration the cave digging process will gradually disappear.

ARCHIVAL DATA ABOUT TWO CAVES IN ORYOL AND UFA PROVINCES: PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL ASPECT.
The events of the late 19th – early 20th centuries, connected with the caves in Oryol and Ufa provinces of the Russian Empire, are described in the paper. The cave in Oryol province was situated in Livensky County near the village of Krutoe. Here local children observed the monk praying in a cave. The cave in Ufa province was located in Menzlensky County in the village of Sobolekova (nowadays it is Nizhnekamsk district of the Republic of Tatarstan). Anastasia Antonova observed relics of Saints and an unextinguishable icon lamp in this cave. These events are considered by the author according to psychological and social points of view.

IMAGE OF A CAVE IN OVERCOMING FEAR OF DEATH
IN FOLK AND HESYCHASTIC TRADITION.
The article reviews some special aspects of a cave image perception in folk and hesychastic tradition which are in the sphere of fundamental perception of life and death terms. Subject of the research with ontological component is caves of artificial origin, they are reviewed in the paper as a part of Christian culture within the culture-historical field of Russia.

REVISITING THE EXISTENCE OF DIVNOGORSKIY CAVE MONASTERY
IN THE TIMES OF THE GOLDEN HORDE:
RELIGIOUS SITUATION IN THE DON REGION IN THE 13TH-14TH CENTURIES

The article presents the religious and political situation in the special area of the Don  in the Golden Horde times. It concludes that there may be the orthodox monastery,  belonged to Constantinople. Divnogorskiy Monastery ceased to exist in late 14th century due to worsening of political situation in the Ulus of Jochi. The monastery was revived in the mid-17th century as part of Moscow Patriarchate.
Keywords: Divnogorskiy Monastery; forest-steppe Don region; Chervlyoniy Yar; Ulus of Jochi; Sarai diocese; Byzantine; Orthodox Church

SACRED ARTIFICIAL CAVITIES NEAR THE OLD KRIUSHA VILLAGE. Two more sacred artificial cavities in Voronezh region were surveyed in 2015 by interregional expedition of the Russian geographical society. One (Old Kriusha-1) is the underground church with system of galleries around. And another (Old Kriusha-2) is a gallery system with a bay for storage of a portable icon. These two artificial cavities probably were built in different periods but undoubtedly they present a unified complex of religious underground constructions.

INTERRELATION OF PEASANT COMMUNITY, CHURCH AND THE STATE WITH REFERENCE TO CREATION AND FUNCTIONING OF KOSTOMAROVSKY CAVE COMPLEX IN PODONYE (THE MIDDLE OF XIX – XX CENT.). The article presents in detail the history of creation and development of Kostomarovsky cave complex in Podgorensky district of Voronezh region on the basis of archival records found out by the author. The author pays special attention to interrelation of the cave creators community with the state and church authorities. It is concluded that the cave temple, made in the chalk hill by the peasant community, became the center of people’s religiosity. The attempts to formalize it by means of dedication service had been encountering opposition within the 20th century from the Church as well as from the government who were in fear of independent civil communities that could gather around the temple and be uncontrolled. The peasant community of settlement Kostomarovo which created the caves in the middle of 19th century manages to make here a people’s monastery only one century later. However, by that time due to changes in peasants’ lifestyle throughout Soviet history, neither a rural community nor a common vestry of the Russian Orthodox Church had played a prominent part in the spiritual life of a village in the late 20th century. Having lost the basis of social support in the context of the new persecution against the Church, the people’s attempts to create an official monastery from the cavebuilders community were interrupted. Only at the end of 20th the eparchial authorities established the Svyato-Spassky Convent. It became possible due to the caves that had been seen by the Church as a significant in sacral meaning locus of the surrounding area.

Аbstract: the article presents stories of the cave life which was built in 1930s near settlement Karayashnik of Olkhovatsky district, Voronezh region. Development of such folk Orthodoxy like cave digging is presented in the context of religious and social transformations in the course of modernization in 20–30s years of the XX century.
The article comes to conclusion that the individual peasants who dug caves were trying to find a way out of their crisis conditions by recreating the model of traditional communal religion in the archaic consecrated locus of life space. It is stated that the situation was affected by the following: old cave digging tradition in Voronezh region determined by particularities of physical and socio-cultural environment. The analysis is based on vast range of archive sources and field study results.

REAL AND VIRTUAL CAVES AS REALIZATION OF COGNITIVE NECESSITY IN TRADITIONAL CULTURE
The article realizes a new approach to the understanding of the origins of cave building based on the analysis of the necessities underlying human activity. Besides vital, social and ideal necessities cognitive necessity is emphasized, which is oriented to the exploration of surrounding reality. The realization of the mentioned necessities in traditional culture determines the occurrence of new caves at real and virtual (potentially possible) levels reflected in folklore and myth-making.

REGIONAL LOCATION FEATURES OF CULT CAVES IN EUROPEAN RUSSIA

This article analyzes the regional location features of cult caves in European Russia in the 17th–20th centuries.  It is concluded that most caves were placed in the southern regions of the country: Voronezh, Belgorod and Volgograd regions. It is explained by integrated consideration of historical, cultural and physical landscapes of these regions.

Keywords: peasants’ religiousness; caves; European Russia; Orthodox Church; pilgrimage; cave-monasteries; chalk landscapes.

CAVE ON MONASTERIAL TERRITORIES OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH OF 17-21ST CENTURIES: GENESIS AND PLACE IN THE SACRED LANDSCAPE
The article considers genesis of the caves located on territory of 23 monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church, which are in different subjects of European part of the Russian Federation. It is noted that emergence of the cult caves was influenced by a number of factors. The caves appeared as a transfer result of sacred space of such centres of Christian pilgrimage like Jerusalem, Athos, Kiev onto Russian soil. The caves were also created as a result of spiritual practice of hesychasm, repentance lives and eschatological expectations. Appearance of the cult caves was both in the form of individual penance laypeople and monks, and in the form of people's cave digging. It should be noted that the caves were built either in new, not previously included in the sacred space of the settlements, or in the areas of monasteries previously abolished as a result of secularization. In some cases creation of caves on monasterial territory was reported. During the Soviet period the caves were abandoned along with closing monasteries. Currently, the sacred space of caves is being recreated along with re-emerging abodes, church service is hold in underground churches. Caves, occupying a unique place in the cultural landscape, attract pilgrims and tourists. However, the sacred space semantics cannot always be fully implemented in them. The concrete examples of transfer discovered in the article fro sacral space of Jerusalem, Mount Athos and Kiev into the cave monasteries of the Russian Orthodox Church intended to level this aspect as well as the aspect of Hesychast’s way reflection in the corridors and cells of cave mazes. The structural-semantic method was used in the studies for analysis, which allowed revealing the meaning of cave complexes in sacred monastic space. Anthropological approach to the studies of cave diggers subculture helped analyze the cave creators’ motives and values.
Keywords: The Russian Orthodox Church, cave monasteries, sacred landscape, devotional theology, hesychasm, people’s cave digging, pilgrimage, Athos, Kiev, Jerusalem.

CAVE DIGGING OF XVII-XIX CENTURIES IN THE AREA OF CENTRAL RUSSIAN BELOGORYE: AN ATTAMPT OF FOLKLORIC RUSSIAN UTOPIA IMPLEMENTATION.
The article presents a cave digging process in the area of Central Russian Belogorye in XVII-XIX centuries as an attempt to implement the folkloric Russian utopia. A semiotic approach is used, which allows to see a cult cave as a sign in the sacred area of a country neighbourhood reflecting mentality of a peasant community. It is noted that during the period under consideration some utopian ideas about ideal sacred area started to gain ground among peasants as a result of their changed social status. It is deduced that these views well superimposed on perception of symbolism of white colour, which can be seen in the chalk exposures, in the folk community of Russian-Ukrainian borderzone. Creating caves in this area, peasants tried to implement their iconic views toward white colour as the colour of liberty, richness and holiness. Running into authorities’ reaction the cave diggers only once managed to transfer from folk Orthodoxy into a legal official monastery, the case was connected with history of Belogorskaya cave.

RECONSTRUCTION CULT CAVES BUILDING ON THE TERRITORY OF EUROPEAN RUSSIA.
Abstract: The article describes construction process of cult caves in Christian tradition in European Russia. Attention is drawn to the fact that the process primarily depended on the nature of rock formation where the caves were constructed. The walls and ceiling after taking up the rocks in softer and loose ground were strengthened by armour stone or bricks. There was no need in additional fastening in hard rocky grounds. Direction of waling was done in accordance with attitude of beds and rock jointing. An adze, spade, crowbar, or other metal tools were used in the course of work. Construction works were proceeded both during the daytime and at night. The space was lighted with candles. The activities were arranged by the community formed during the cave construction with active support of the local population. Drawings and plans of venerated underground holy places in Christian pilgrimage centres could be used in construction works. In case of making the cave construction official a professional architect could be invited, as we can see through the example of the longest in Russia Belogorskaya cave. Intensity of work depended on the age and gender characteristics of the employed and of the official authorities.

THE PLAN OF BELOGORSKY CAVES AND THEIR SURROUNDINGS, COMPILED BY FYODOR ERMAKOV IN 1858, AS A HISTORICAL SOURCE. The article presents the  plan 1858 of Belogorsky caves which were found V.V. Styopkin. His analysis leads to the conclusion about the dynamics of the cave labyrinths, their length. The archival material gives the opportunity to learn more information about the beginning of Belogorsky monastery.

PERCEPTION OF CAVE AS SPACE-TEMPORAL TUNNEL IN POPULAR CULTURE OF FOREST-STEPPE DON REGION
The author analyzes the phenomenon of the popular perception of the cave as a symbol connecting the different modi of time, conducts
the study basing on the folk recordings made within forest-steppe Don region involving archival materials and literary parallels,
introduces a new range of sources into scientific circulation, presents the complex interpretation of certain folk stories based
on the analysis of Don region population’s myth-making, and conducts the research in the context of the reference to human
psyche unconscious sphere in its archetypal manifestations associated with the perception of time in the symbolism of cave space.

The cave complex (Demidovskaya cave) is located in the Verkhnedonsky (Upper Don) district of the Rostov region. The complex was cut out in the chalk thickness in the middle part of the right bank of the river. Don near Demidovsky village. It was first investigated speleologists of the Voronezh speleosection in 1975. The article presents the results of studies of the complex carried out by the authors in 2014. The complex consists of a number of galleries and adjoining small rooms. It has two tiers connected by a staircase. The structure of the complex is largely subordinated to the system of cracks within the massif-the contours of the main rooms, ledges, niches, and ceiling ledges were formed along them. The upper tier is best preserved. Part of the lower tier is currently completely filled with talus and is inaccessible. The total length of the accessible part of the complex is 72 m. According to local residents, monks associated with the Donetsk Monastery of John the Baptist lived in the cave, but there is no documentary information about this fact. The religious purpose of the complex is confirmed by the discovery of several niches-icon cases, in which icons could be installed. Currently, there are icons inside, brought in in the mid-2000s.

RELIGIOUS CAVE DIGGING IN 70S OF THE 19TH CENTURY NEAR THE VILLAGE OF VERKHNE-AHTUBINSKOE IN THE LOWER VOLGA REGION.
Accomplishment and novelty of the research task was achieved by attracting and introduction into scientific use of a new source from the Secretariat of the Synod (fund 796) of Russian State Historical Archives: of folder “On the proposal to uphold the integrity of caves built by peasant of Verhne-Ahtubinskoe village of Tsarievsky County of Astrakhan governorate Andrey Cherkasov”, began on 25 August 1876. Methodological research capacity includes a systematic historical approach, which allows considering the phenomenon of cave digging in the context of Synodal Orthodoxy and folk beliefs interaction.
When considering the phenomenon of cave digging it is emphasized that there was a sectarian component, manifested in the views of the caves founder peasant Andrey Cherkasov. It is noted, however, that in the eyes of the masses this component was not obvious. This factor amid Cherkasov’s appeal to cave digging tradition of Kiev-Pechersk Lavra made Bezrodnenskie catacombs a revered sacred locus of the village neighborhood, which was well known far beyond Astrakhan region. Eventually the territory occupied by the caves together with ground-based buildings was transferred by Andrey Cherkasov to Pokrovsky monastery. The cave diggers themselves being unregulated by the end of the 19th century were transformed from “wandering spiritual community” into a neophyte sect with a political subtext, which led ultimately to final closure of the caves by the authorities.
The study involving new sources of cave digging near the village of Verkhne-Ahtubinskoe makes it possible to state that the masses were dissatisfied by the framework of Synodal Orthodoxy and desired to establish new sacred loci in the village neighborhood, reproducing underground holy sites of a traditional society against a backdrop of rapidly occurring modernization processes of the post-reform period.