The Holy Sergiyevsky Women’s Monastery is a community in the village of Serhiivka, in the Sloviansk (now Kramatorsk) district of Donetsk Oblast, 10 kilometres from Kramatorsk. It arose in 2002 from a parish church consecrated in honour of Venerable Sergius of Radonezh. In this small house, which lives by prayer, handicraft and choral singing, more than thirty nuns have gathered under the leadership of Abbess Feodosia. [1][3]
Briefly about the monastery
- Full name: Holy Sergiyevsky Women’s Monastery in honour of Venerable Sergius of Radonezh. [2][4]
- Address: Serhiivka village, 1 Soborna Street, Donetsk Oblast, 84191. [1][4]
- Founded: 2002 (conversion of the parish into a monastery). [1]
- Founding church: the church of Venerable Sergius of Radonezh, consecrated on 18 July 2000. [1]
- Abbess: Abbess Feodosia (Melnykova). [1][3]
- Status: an active women’s monastery of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. [2]
From a village church to a monastery
The village of Serhiivka was founded in 1855. Initially the village church was consecrated in honour of St Basil. The stone single-altar church was built at the expense of the landowner Kateryna Shabelska, and the parish numbered about 3000 faithful. [1]
In the 1930s, the godless years, the place of prayer, like many other churches in Ukraine, was destroyed by the Soviet authorities. The ancient shrine ceased to exist. [1]
The revival of the church
A new parish church was consecrated in honour of Venerable Sergius of Radonezh on 18 July 2000 — precisely on the feast day of this saint. It was the revival of the religious life of the village after decades of prohibition. [1][2]
The house has an unusual design: the church has an arched gallery that ends in an altar area with a dome. [1]
The creation of the monastery
In 2002 the parish church was converted into the Sergiyevsky Women’s Monastery. The first residents were the nuns Serafyma and Feodosia. [1]
In 2004 one of them, Feodosia, was raised to the rank of abbess; since then she has been the superior of the house. [1]
The solemn consecration of the Sergiyevsky Monastery took place on 8 November 2005, on the day of the memory of the holy great martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica. [1]
Churches and shrines
Today the house has two churches: the church of Venerable Sergius of Radonezh and the church of the holy martyr Victor. [3]
- The St Victor Church: on the lower floor; its fitting out began in 2011, and it was consecrated in September 2015, on the feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos. The lower church was painted by the Kramatorsk artist Viktor Pavlov. [1]
- The summer church: consecrated in 2011 in honour of the holy martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia. [1]
Among the shrines of the monastery are venerated images of Venerable Sergius of Radonezh, of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear” and of the Mother of God “Unbreakable Gate”. The church keeps two reliquaries — containers with particles of holy relics. [1]
Monastic life and handicraft
The sisters and novices work in their own workshop, where they sew vestments and monastic clothing. Bead embroidery and the weaving of prayer ropes (chotky) are traditional crafts in the monastery. [1]
The house is also known for its chanting. The abbess, Abbess Feodosia (Melnykova), leads the choir of the Sergiyevsky Monastery, which sings at services and church feasts, and it took part in festive carols at the Sviatohirsk Lavra. [3]
The present situation
Serhiivka lies not far from the front line, in the frontline zone after 2022. Despite the risks, the nuns remain in the house, continuing prayer and social service. The monastery has become a small but effective centre of spiritual life in eastern Ukraine. [1][3]
Practical information
- Address: Serhiivka village, 1 Soborna Street, Sloviansk (Kramatorsk) district, Donetsk Oblast, 84191. [1][4]
- How to get there: by bus on the Kramatorsk — Dobropillia route; the village lies 10 km from Kramatorsk. [1]
- Churches: the church of Venerable Sergius of Radonezh; the lower church of the Martyr Victor; the summer church of the martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and Sophia. [1]
- Services: services in the St Victor church are held on weekdays. [1]
Frequently asked questions
When was the monastery in Serhiivka founded?
In 2002, when the parish church of Sergius of Radonezh, consecrated on 18 July 2000, was turned into a women’s monastery. [1]
Who leads the house?
Abbess Feodosia (Melnykova), raised to the rank of abbess in 2004. [1][3]
What is known about the village’s first church?
The village was founded in 1855; the stone single-altar church of St Basil was built at the expense of the landowner Kateryna Shabelska, but it was destroyed in the 1930s. [1]
What shrines are in the monastery?
Venerated icons of Sergius of Radonezh, of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear” and “Unbreakable Gate”, as well as two reliquaries. [1]
What do the sisters do?
They pray, serve and do handicraft — they sew vestments and monastic clothing, embroider with beads and weave prayer ropes; the monastery has its own choir. [1][3]
Conclusion
The Holy Sergiyevsky Women’s Monastery in Serhiivka is an example of how, from a church destroyed in the 1930s and rebuilt from nothing in 2000, a living monastic community grows within two years. More than thirty sisters, under the guidance of Abbess Feodosia, combine the ancient monastic tradition of prayer and handicraft with modern choral art, and in the frontline conditions they remain an effective centre of faith for the people of eastern Ukraine. [1][3]