The Krekhiv Monastery

Monks of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Joel and Sylvester are considered to be the founders of the Krekhiv Monastery. In the 1590ies they settled in a cave made in the rock some 12 km from Zhovkva. With time the number of monks increased, and with the support of Stanislaw Zуlkiewski they built the St. Peter and Paul Church close to the cave, and later – the Transfiguration Church and the Trinity Church. At the same place the bell tower and monks’ cells were located. The monastery had its wonder-working icon of the Mother of God, presented to the monks by the Lviv Orthodox family – the Krasovski. In 1721 the Krekhiv Monastery became Greek-Catholic. The monastery was famous for its wonder-working icons of which there were four in Krekhiv: three icons of the Holy Virgin (one from Werchrata) and the icon of St. Nicholas the Great.