The Monastery of the Kasperivska Icon of the Mother of God is a women’s community in the settlement of Hruzko-Lomivka in Donetsk Oblast, founded in 1997. It is dedicated to one of the most venerated wonder-working icons of Ukraine — the Kasperivska icon, a likeness of the “Tenderness” type connected with Odesa, Kherson and the nineteenth-century defence of Sevastopol. The house in the frontline Donbas has become a spiritual refuge for its nuns and local believers. [1][2]
Briefly about the monastery
- Full name: women’s monastery in honour of the Kasperivska Icon of the Mother of God, Donetsk Diocese. [1]
- Address: Hruzko-Lomivka settlement, Makiivka district, Donetsk Oblast. [1]
- Founded: 1997. [2]
- Founding shrine: the Kasperivska Icon of the Mother of God (iconographic type “Tenderness”). [3]
- Canonical dependency: the Dormition women’s skete in the town of Zhdanivka (opened in 2012). [1]
- Status: an active women’s monastery with a skete. [1]
The Kasperivska icon — an ancient shrine
To understand the meaning of the house, it is worth recalling the story of the icon itself. By tradition, the Kasperivska Icon of the Mother of God was painted in oils on canvas glued to a board. In the middle of the eighteenth century it was brought to the lands of present-day Ukraine by members of a Serbian family who had come from Transylvania. The holy image became a family heirloom passed from generation to generation. [3][4]
In 1809 the icon passed to the Kherson landowner Iuliania Ionivna Kasperova, who had an estate at Kasperovo (now Kizomys in Bilozerka district, Kherson Oblast). By then the image had darkened with age and its features were hard to make out. [3]
Renewal of the image and first miracles
In February 1840 the pious landowner, who had endured many trials, prayed long into the night before the icon. Suddenly she saw the image miraculously renewed: the faces of the Theotokos and the Saviour brightened and have remained so to this day. [3][4]
Healings soon followed. The gentlewoman Vera Burleeva, after prayers before the icon, regained the use of a hand that had been dead for several years. In the summer of 1843 a thirteen-year-old peasant boy from Kherson, Ivan Shumkov, was healed of epilepsy. Maria Smeshnaia, a townswoman from Ochakov whose half body had been paralysed after a stroke, went home fully healthy. Prayers and anointing with oil from the lamp before the icon restored the mind of the Novoiivanivka peasant woman Paraska Semipudova, long possessed. [3][4]
In 1844, with the consent of Madame Kasperova and the decision of the local priest, the icon was officially placed in the Church of St Nicholas of the village of Kasperovo. Pilgrims began to stream in from Odesa, Kherson, Ochakov and Mykolaiv. [3]
The defence of Sevastopol
The icon gained particular fame during the Crimean War. Archbishop Innokentii blessed with it the troops setting out for Sevastopol. On 1 October 1854 the siege of the city was lifted, and it was decided to perpetuate the event by establishing a feast day on 1 October — from then on the day became a patronal festival for those who venerate the image. [3]
Today the Church venerates the Kasperivska icon on 29 June, 1 October, on the Wednesday of Easter week and on the first day of the Peter’s fast. [3]
The founding of the house in Hruzko-Lomivka
In 1997, in the settlement of Hruzko-Lomivka in Donetsk Oblast, a women’s monastery in honour of the Kasperivska Icon of the Mother of God was established. The appearance of this house in Donbas was part of the broad revival of monasticism in Ukraine after 1991, when communities began to be founded anew in regions where Soviet power had destroyed almost all monasteries. [2]
The village of Hruzko-Lomivka belongs to the Makiivka district of Donetsk region. The choice of dedication to the Kasperivska icon was not accidental: this shrine is regarded as protector and patroness of the south and east of Ukraine, and for the Donetsk Diocese it became a heavenly intercessor. [1][2]
The skete in Zhdanivka
Within the monastery there functions a canonical dependency — the Dormition women’s skete in the town of Zhdanivka. It was opened according to Journal No. 20 of the session of the Holy Synod of the UOC of 21 February 2012. The Zhdanivka skete has its own coordinates (48.149820, 38.241911) and address 86391, Zhdanivka town, Donetsk Oblast, as well as its own website. [1]
The presence of a skete testifies to the expansion of the community: the main monastery in Hruzko-Lomivka became the centre on which the smaller monastic settlement in the neighbouring town depends. [1]
Architecture and shrines
The house in Hruzko-Lomivka is a typical example of a newly built monastic complex of the 1990s–2000s. Because of the active hostilities in Donbas since 2014, and especially since 2022, exact architectural data about the main monastic church are hard to summarise, so we focus on what is confirmed by the sources. [1]
The main spiritual support of the house is the Kasperivska Icon itself, a copy of which is kept in the monastery. For the faithful of Donetsk region the image has become a sign of maternal intercession in time of war. [1][2]
Present life and the challenges of war
Donetsk Oblast is one of the worst affected by armed Russian aggression. Hruzko-Lomivka, Makiivka and Zhdanivka are in a zone where fighting seriously complicates the life of church communities. Despite this, the monastery continues its ministry, and the nuns and priests try to maintain services and help local residents. [1]
The status of the house as an officially recognised monastic community is confirmed by state registration data, as well as by the fact that it has its own website and the developed infrastructure of a skete. [1]
Practical information
- Address: Hruzko-Lomivka settlement, Makiivka district, Donetsk Oblast. [1]
- Skete: Dormition women’s skete, Zhdanivka town, 86391. [1]
- Main feast: the days of veneration of the Kasperivska icon — 29 June, 1 October, Wednesday of Easter week and the first day of the Peter’s fast. [3]
- Access: because of the frontline situation, staying in the region requires caution and checking the current security situation. [1]
Frequently asked questions
When was the monastery in Hruzko-Lomivka founded?
In 1997, during the active revival of monasticism in Ukraine after independence. [2]
Why is the house called Kasperivska?
In honour of the Kasperivska Icon of the Mother of God — an ancient wonder-working shrine connected with southern Ukraine and the defence of Sevastopol. [3]
What is the skete and where is it?
It is a canonical dependency of the community — the Dormition women’s skete in Zhdanivka, opened by the decision of the Synod of the UOC of 21.02.2012. [1]
What is known about the main shrine?
A copy of the Kasperivska Icon — the chief spiritual treasure of the house, to which the faithful turn. [1][2]
Is the monastery active today?
Yes, it is a recognised women’s community operating against the background of the difficult conditions of a frontline region. [1]
Conclusion
The Monastery of the Kasperivska Icon of the Mother of God in Hruzko-Lomivka is a young but spiritually deep house of Donetsk region. It combines veneration of one of the oldest wonder-working icons of Ukraine with the modern monastic revival of the 1990s and courageous service in time of war. The image that once renewed itself before the prayer of Madame Kasperova today consoles those who seek protection in a conflict zone. [1][2][3]