The Skete of the Nativity of Saint John the Forerunner in Verbka is a small men’s monastery on an island amid the floodplains of the Turiya river, on the site of a 16th-century cloister forever linked with the name of Prince Andrei Kurbsky — the famous emigrant and opponent of Ivan the Terrible, who spent his last days here and willed to be buried within its walls.
At a glance
- Full name: Skete of the Nativity of Saint John the Forerunner (UOC, Volyn Eparchy).
- Address: village of Verbka, Kovel district, Volyn Oblast. [2][3]
- Historical foundation: Trinity Monastery of Verbka, first mentioned 1543. [1][2]
- Kurbsky: bequeathed burial here; died May 1583. [1][2]
- Relic: the miracle-working icon of Saint Nicholas, a gift of Prince Kurbsky. [4]
- Revival: a skete since 1997; an independent monastery since 24 May 2002; namestnik — Archimandrite Varlaam (Boichuk). [1][3]
History of the monastery
The 16th-century Trinity Monastery and Prince Kurbsky
The Trinity monastery of Verbka is first mentioned in documents in 1543, in connection with an exchange of lands between Queen Bona Sforza and Prince Sangushko. The cloister rose on an island among the marshes and lakes of the Turiya — an impregnable retreat of prayer in the northern Polissia wilderness. [1][3]
In 1564 Prince Andrei Mikhailovich Kurbsky, one of the closest commanders of Tsar Ivan IV (the Terrible), fled the Muscovite state and settled in Volhynia. In his old age he lived near Kovel and became a benefactor of the Verbka monastery. In his will he asked to be buried in this monastery; he died in May 1583 and was laid to rest here. The prince’s grave became one of the most revered places of old Volhynia. [1][2]
The miracle-working icon and the devastation of the cloister
According to local tradition, Prince Kurbsky presented the monastery with an icon of Saint Nicholas, which over the centuries gained the fame of miracle-working. Every year on 22 May, on the feast of the translation of the relics of Saint Nicholas, a great pilgrimage (“proshcha”) gathered at the cloister. Local legend holds that even the great icon restorer and scholar could examine the ancient image with reverence. [4]
At the end of the 18th century, after the partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Trinity monastery was abolished, and the church of Verbka became a parish one. [4] In 1848, during restoration works, the tomb of Andrei Kurbsky was opened; the senator and archaeologist Kuriakin documented the remains, and the prince’s memory was honored anew by scholars. [4] In the 20th century — Soviet decades — the site of the medieval shrine was desolate.
The revival of the 1990s–2000s
In 1997 a monastic skete of the UOC was established on the island, reviving the interrupted tradition; since 2001 the community was attached to the Miletskyi monastery as its metochion. On 24 May 2002 the Holy Synod granted the community the status of an independent monastery — the Skete of the Nativity of John the Forerunner, with Archimandrite Varlaam (Boichuk) as its namestnik. A wooden church ferried from the village of Kraska began the new ensemble. [1][3]
Ensemble and shrines
- The island among the Turiya floodplains — a natural monastic cell of water and reeds. [3]
- The wooden church — transported from the village of Kraska at the revival. [3]
- The memory of Kurbsky’s tomb — the site of the prince’s burial within the old monastery precinct. [2]
- The Nicholas icon — the memory of the miracle-working gift of the emigrant prince. [4]
Spiritual significance
The Verbka skete teaches that the Lord gathers His own even in distant exile: the disgraced commander found here not only shelter but a resting place, and his gift — the Nicholas icon — became the banner of the local church. The annual pilgrimage of 22 May links the Middle Ages with the revived community, and the island among the waters reminds us that a monastery is always the world of God amid the floods of life. [4]
Practical information
- Address: village of Verbka, Kovel district, Volyn Oblast. [2]
- Getting there: from Kovel — local transport; the monastery stands on an island, reachable by a causeway/bridge. [3]
- Services: per the schedule of the small brotherhood; the great feast — the Nativity of John the Forerunner (7 July), and the Nicholas pilgrimage on 22 May. [4]
- Pilgrims: a quiet, remote cloister — please phone ahead to arrange a visit. [1]
Frequently asked questions
Who is Andrei Kurbsky?
The commander of Ivan the Terrible who fled to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth; he spent his last years near Kovel, was the monastery’s benefactor, and was buried here in May 1583. [1][2]
What shrine is kept here?
The memory of the miracle-working Nicholas icon, a gift of Kurbsky; the pilgrimage on 22 May has been celebrated here for centuries. [4]
When was the monastery revived?
The skete — in 1997; independence as a monastery — from 24 May 2002, namestnik Archimandrite Varlaam (Boichuk). [1][3]
What happened to Kurbsky’s grave?
In 1848 the tomb was opened during excavations; the remains were documented by the senator-archaeologist Kuriakin. [4]
Conclusion
The Verbka skete is a small island with a great name: the cloister where the most famous emigrant of the 16th century found his rest, and where, in the 21st century, the brethren again raise prayer over the waters of the Turiya. [1][2][4]