The Brailiv Holy Trinity Convent is one of the “Seven Wonders of Vinnytsia Oblast” and the most famous shrine of the town of Brailiv in the Zhmerynka region. Its history has two beginnings: the monastery itself was founded in 1635 in Vinnytsia through the efforts of the Bratslav deputy judge Mykhailo Kropyvnytskyi, while today’s Baroque complex in Brailiv was erected in 1767–1778 for the Catholic Trinitarian friars at the expense of the Potocki family. In 1845 the Orthodox women’s monastery moved here in procession from Vinnytsia — and from then the Trinity convent has been inseparable from Brailiv. [1][2]
At a glance
- Full name: Brailiv Holy Trinity Women’s Monastery.
- Address: Brailiv, Zhmerynka district, Vinnytsia Oblast.
- Founded: 1635 (Vinnytsia, Orthodox) → the present complex 1767–1778 (Brailiv, Trinitarians) → the convent moved in 1845.
- Shrines: the icons of the Mother of God “Brailiv-Pochaiv”, “Brailiv-Częstochowa” and the “Three-handed Theotokos”.
- Recognition: one of the “Seven Wonders of Vinnytsia Oblast”.
- Status: an active women’s monastery.
History of the monastery
1635: the Vinnytsia beginning
The Trinity monastery was founded in 1635 in Vinnytsia at the petition of the Bratslav deputy judge and royal secretary Mykhailo Kropyvnytskyi, later a Polish senator. The house was conceived to strengthen Orthodoxy in the Bratslav region, yet later passed under Uniate control and returned to Orthodoxy only in the 19th century. [1][2]
1740–1778: the Trinitarians and the Potockis
In 1740 the Volhynian voivode Franciszek Potocki founded in Brailiv a monastery of the Catholic Trinitarian order — friars who specialized in ransoming Christians from Turkish captivity. The first buildings were wooden; the masonry ensemble began to rise in 1767 and was completed in 1778 by his son Stanisław Szczęsny Potocki: a Baroque church with a tall tower and two cell wings architecturally embracing the altar part. In 1787 the Polish king Stanisław August specially came to Brailiv to admire the monastery’s frescoes by Johann Prachtel — the artist is buried on the monastery’s grounds. [2][3][1]
1832–1845: from the Trinitarians to the Orthodox nuns
After the Polish uprising of 1830–1831 the Trinitarian monastery was closed, and in 1832 the friars were evicted. The Russian Orthodox Church petitioned for the transfer here of the Vinnytsia women’s monastery, and on Trinity Day of 1845 the community moved to Brailiv in a cross procession; the procession was met by Archbishop Arsenii himself. In honour of the feast the monastery received the name of the Holy Trinity; that same year a school for orphans was opened at it. [3][1]
The 20th century: twice closed, twice reborn
In 1932 the Soviet authorities shut the monastery — among the motives cited was the hiding of grain during the Holodomor by the peasants of Moskalyvka and Kozachivka. Under the Nazi-Romanian occupation (Transnistria) the monastery revived in 1942, but in 1962 it was liquidated again — this time for long: its premises housed a vocational school and then a tourist base. In 1989 a large-scale restoration of the entire complex began, and the monastery was reborn. [1][2][3]
The shrines of the monastery
The Brailiv monastery is famed for three icons of the Mother of God: the “Brailiv-Pochaiv”, the “Brailiv-Częstochowa” and the “Three-handed One”. Pilgrims come to venerate the images and to admire the authentic frescoes of the Trinitarian era, partially restored, and the system of underground passages beneath the complex. [1][2]
What to see
- The Holy Trinity church — a Baroque church of the 18th century with a tall tower.
- The cell wings — symmetric ranges embracing the altar (a typical Trinitarian composition).
- The frescoes of Johann Prachtel — partially restored.
- The underground passages beneath the monastery hill.
- Three wonder-working icons of the Mother of God.
Practical information
- Address: Brailiv, Zhmerynka district, Vinnytsia Oblast (~35 km from Vinnytsia).
- Getting there: from Vinnytsia by suburban train or bus to Brailiv; the monastery is in the centre of the town.
- Services: an active women’s monastery; morning and evening liturgies, festive on Sundays and feasts.
- Dress code: a women’s monastery — long skirts and headscarves are welcome.
- Tours: the best guided visit to Prachtel’s grave and the underground passages is by prior arrangement.
- Nearby: the Peter and Paul church in Brailiv, Vinnytsia (the Basilian Walls, the “Khostynne” quarter).
Frequently asked questions
Why does the monastery have a double history?
Because the community founded in 1635 lived in Vinnytsia, while the building of 1767–1778 in Brailiv was erected for Catholic Trinitarians; in 1845 the Orthodox nuns moved into the empty Trinitarian complex. [1][3]
Who were the Trinitarians?
A Catholic order specializing in ransoming Christians from Turkish captivity — an order exotic for Ukraine, to which the Potockis donated Brailiv. [2]
Which king visited Brailiv?
In 1787 — the Polish king Stanisław August Poniatowski, to see the frescoes of Johann Prachtel. [2]
Which shrines are venerated here?
The icons of the Theotokos “Brailiv-Pochaiv”, “Brailiv-Częstochowa” and the “Three-handed One”. [1]
Is the monastery active?
Yes — the women’s monastery, revived in 1989, functions to this day. [1][2]
Conclusion
The Brailiv monastery is a place where four centuries and two traditions meet: the Potockis’ Trinitarian Baroque, the royal visit of 1787, the Holodomor of 1932 and the revival of 1989. The “Seventh Wonder of Vinnytsia” is not a PR line but the honest sum of three hundred years of prayer. [1][2]