This ancient monastery is under special protection of the Theotokos. The Most Pure One appeared here to the monks in a pillar of fire and left Her Footprint in the rock upon which She stood. The Pochayiv wonder-working Icon of the Mother of God made this land world-famous. Great Orthodox hermits - the Venerable Job of Pochayiv and a miracle-worker of Volyn - the Venerable Amphilochius carried on their spiritual struggle in this cloister.

 

 

Явління Божої Матері на Почаївській горі

Преподобный Іов Почаївський

The monastery was founded in 1240, at the time when Batyy Khan occupied Kyiv. The Mongol invasion oppressed Orthodox Rus and destroyed all the sacred. The monks of Kyiv Pechersk Lavra left for Volyn in search of shelter. They found it on a cliffy hill, covered with thick wood. Here they settled down and brought a severe ascetic spirit of the Venerable Antoniy and Theodosius of Kyiv-Pechersk. They named their seclusion in memory of the Pochayna River, a tributary of the Dnieper River, on a bank of which their monastery used to stay. The monks were honored with the blessing of the Mother of God. They saw a vision of the Virgin Mary like the Burning Bush, standing above a rock, crowned and holding a scepter. When the vision faded, they saw the print of Her right Foot on the rock and healing water springing out of it. That vision was both the blessing and the sign of the Mother of God’s intercession for brethren of the newly founded monastery. The tales about them and about the miraculous vision of the Theotokos attracted more and more Christians for prayer. Many of them stayed there for carrying on their spiritual struggle. The increase of community and pilgrims generated a need for a church, which was built at the bottom of the hill (a chapel stands there now). 

 

As time passed word about the holy hill spread. The monks replaced the first wood church with the stone Holy Dormition Church, which started in Pochayiv the Dedication day of the Repose of the Virgin. So gradually from the end of 16th century the monastery had become the religious center of Western Rus. In 1597, the monastery received a gift of sizeable land, estate and the most valuable treasure – the wonder-working Icon of the Mother of God from a local noblewoman Anna Goiska, whose will was to keep the Orthodox faith and the Eastern Church ceremonies forever. 

 

 

Сотрясіння бісом дружини Фірлея, яка по блюзнірському поглумилася над монастирськими святинями (1614 г.)

 A new age in the history of the Pochayiv monastery started. Job Zalizo was elected as the monastery’s hegumen (abbot). Being very ascetic, adherent of silence and a hermit’s life, he jealously took his task, had sent by God, not avoiding burdens caused by monastery’s material arrangements. Due to St. Job’s numerous feats and great efforts there were established a school and a printing house. In 1649 the Church of the Holy Trinity was erected with the Footprint of the Theotokos inside of it. Before that the Footprint was under the open-skies for 400 years. At the same time the cloister was also surrounded by a defensive wall, other churches were built, as well as monastic cells and different amenities. Mirror-like water in the well on the top of the hill and in the pond at its bottom dug out by St. Job is living evidence of his work. Hegumen Job ended his mortal life in 1651, being a hundred years old. Together with the Mother of God, he is a devoted defender of the ancient Orthodox shrine from encroachment of pagans. The events of the Zbarazh War of 1675 are captured forever in the church memory. Fifty thousand troops of Turks and Tatars under the leadership of Nureddin were frightened away by the miraculous apparition of the Queen of Heaven with stretched out Omophorion over the Holy Trinity Church, accompanied with angels and the Venerable Job earnestly praying to the Theotokos to save his monastery from bondage. The memory of this event is commemorated on the 5th of August each year.