Having first seen Ostrog monastery, it is difficult to believe that it was created by human hands, it is such an amazing sight.
How to get here
There is a monastery in the mountains, away from the road connecting Podgorica and Nikshich .The monastery is located at the base of the Rock of Ostrovka Greda, is 15 km from the city of Danilovgrad and 30 km from the city of Podgorica .To the road connecting Podgorica and Nikshich, from the monastery 8 km .You can get to Ostroh by bus or car, but you should take into account that the road is mountainous, and, therefore, narrow and winding, it can be overcome by an experienced driver .From many tourist cities in Montenegro, organized tours with lizised guides come here, which not only will tell you a lot about the monastery and its life, but also explain the basic rules of conduct in the monastery .Since every tourist, and every pilgrim wants to take with him as a souvenir at least some small thing, consecrated in this miraculous place, the monastery has a church shop where you can buy a variety of candles, icons, incenses, prayer books and just memorable souvenirs .
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Ostrozhsky Monastery
Ostrog Monastery is not one of the oldest monasteries in Montenegro, its fame begins at the end of the 17th century and is completely connected with the life and work of St. Basil Ostrog, revered not only in Montenegro, but also far beyond its borders .For the first time in the caves in the present monastery settled unknown hermits, whose goal was a solitary life away from temptations, prayers and exploits .In honor of the mountain towering over it, the monastery got its name: Podstrog .It is an active male Orthodox monastery, in Montenegro it is revered on a par with the shrines of Jerusalem and New Athos .Being the largest religious center in Montenegro and a popular pilgrimage place, the monastery is widely known and outside the country .Among the believers it is believed that the remains of the founder of St. Basil of Ostrog, stored in the monastery, have a great miracle-working power, they heal even the hopelessly sick .
Ostrog is the only Orthodox functioning monastery where not only Christians but also Muslims and Jews come to pilgrimage.
Visit to the monastery
The monastery consists of two parts, the upper and lower. Between them is a forest road, the length of which is about 5 km. But in most cases pilgrims move along a shorter hiking trail, overcoming the distance between the parts of the monastery in 20-25 minutes. Usually visit the lower monastery, founded in the 19th century. It consists of the Church of the Holy Trinity and monastic cells. The relics of the holy new martyr Stanko rest in the church.
After the lower one usually rise to the upper monastery .Its main part is built into the rock at an altitude of 900 m above sea level, it contains the most cherished sights, it consists of two churches, Krestovozdvizhenskaya and Vvedenska .It was in the Vvedenskaya church, tiny in size, Vasily Ostrozhsky spent 15 years in prayers .Now in the Vvedensky temple the ark is kept with the miraculous relics of Vasily Ostrozhsky .Do not run out to them a line of people who are hungry for healing and help .The chain moves continuously, stop and consider something impossible .People write their cherished wishes on pieces of paper, leave their messages in clicks and cracks of the wall .It is said that here all wishes come true, so, one should be very careful in the formulations .
The Church of the Holy Crucifixion is not only a religious value, but also an artistic one. In the 17th century, Master Radul painted her beautiful in the beauty and expressiveness of the frescoes. The task before the artist was not easy, because the church's arch is a cave wall, uneven, covered with ledges, depressions and cracks. Photo of Ostrog (5)