Ganina Yama

Ganina Yama is a flooded mine near Yekaterinburg, where the remains of the country’s last emperor and his family were dumped after the execution. In post-Soviet times, a Worshipful Cross was erected over “Mine No. 7”, and in 2000 a men’s monastery of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers was founded. Located among centuries-old pine trees, the monastery, an example of modern wooden architecture, has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Sverdlovsk region, the end point of the annual procession dedicated to the memory of the royal family.

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Video: Ganina Yama

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History of Ganina Yama

The area got its name from the name of the owner of the mine – Gabriel, abbreviated – Gani, as the inhabitants of the surrounding villages addressed him. After the execution, the bodies were piled into the back of a truck and taken to the mine. There they were doused with gasoline and acid and burned so that the remains would not be found. Despite attempts to cover their tracks, in 1920 the investigation, authorized by the Kolchak government, established the truth, at the same time the relics were taken abroad. In Soviet times about Ganina Yama, as well as about the Ipatiev House, preferred not to talk.

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The first Worshipful Cross of ordinary wood was placed at the mine in 1991 tentatively, not knowing the exact resting place of the royal family. In 1993, conducted topographical work, compared the information obtained with the data of the investigation and made sure that the cross is erected correctly. In 2000, after a visit to Ganina Yama by Patriarch Alexy II, it was decided to build a male monastery.

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Monastery of the Holy Royal Passion Bearers

The complex was originally conceived as the dwellings of the brethren next to a simple wooden shed over the mine, but in the process of development the project turned into a full-fledged monastery with 7 churches, according to the number of members of the royal family, monuments, and a museum. All the buildings were wooden, only the church of the Mother of God’s Power Icon, which completely burned down in 2010, was replaced with a stone one. In 2 years the abbess’ house burned, but it was saved. Today’s monastery is interesting not only from the historical point of view – it is an unusual example of the development of the traditions of Russian wooden architecture. The temples of the monastery resemble ornate terems with many domes and tiers.

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Commemorative signs and images of the royal family

A Worshipful Cross and a slab with a memorial inscription donated by Olga Kulikovskaya-Romanova, the wife of Nicholas II’s nephew, were erected near Mine No. 7. The cross is made of an oak tree that grew near Prokhorovka, the site of the decisive tank battle of the Great Patriotic War. On the left side of the central alley, between the churches of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and Holy Passion Bearers, there is a 3-meter high monument “The Tsar’s Children”. The young martyrs are depicted dressed in princely robes with crosses in their hands. Busts of the Emperor and Empress stand to the left and right of the road leading to the Church of the Power Icon. Next to the emperor is a dry well, a place where water is drained after washing sacred objects.

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Monastery temples

The gate church is dedicated to the Iveron Icon. An alley from the main entrance leads to the church in the name of the Power Icon. Crowned with a 48-meter tower, the building is the largest in the monastery. The temple is open from Friday to Sunday. To the left of the entrance is the 17-dome church of Nikola the Wonderworker, open from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a break on weekdays, on weekends – from 11:30 a.m. without a break. Behind it, after the monument to the Tsar’s children, is the Church of the Holy Passion-Bearers, which opens earlier than the other churches, at 6 a.m., and closes on weekdays at 7 p.m., on weekends – at the end of the solemn service. It is built closest to the mine where the remains were found. On its belfry – 8 bells, on each of them an icon with the image of one member of the monarch’s family, on the eighth – the whole family.

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Behind the mine is the Church of the Long-suffering Job, only monks pray there. The Orthodox church of the same name was built in Brussels in 1950, in its wall were bricked up particles of relics of the family, taken abroad by the Kolchak investigator Sokolov. On the right side of the alley, not far from the entrance, stands a 30-meter bell tower and the Church of Sergius of Radonezh, behind them is the Church of Seraphim of Sarov, open from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, on weekends from 12 p.m.

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Shrines of the monastery

The cross relic made of gold, decorated with rubies, emeralds and pearls, is kept in the Church of the Holy Passion-Bearers. On the underside of the cross are the names of the saints whose relics it contains: these are John the Baptist, Andrew the First-Called, Gregory the Theologian, Sergius of Radonezh – a total of 40 prominent Christians. The shrine was preserved by the nuns who had access to the emperor in the last days of his life. Near the cross in the temple is an ark with a fragment of the relics of Mary Magdalene. There is also an icon of Martyr Elizabeth, sister of Empress Alexandra, and Nun Barbara with parts of their relics. The relics of the women murdered in Alapaevsk are kept in full in Jerusalem, in the Church of Mary Magdalene.

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A particularly revered icon with his image was transferred to the Church of Seraphim of Sarov. The icon of Nicholas the Wonderworker from the church of the same name was bequeathed to Nicholas II by his dying father. The last emperor himself, having a premonition of his demise, gave it to the sisters of the Novo-Tikhvin Monastery, who brought food to the family, the day before his execution. They kept it, in the 60’s passed it to a young priest, who gave the shrine to the monastery at the time of its creation.

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There are two Iveron icons in the monastery. One, unremarkable, hangs at the entrance to the Gate Church, the other, made in the Athonite monastery specifically for Ganina Yama copy of the original icon of the Iveron Mother of God, placed in the church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker to the left of the iconostasis. From Mount Athos brought and the cross, which is periodically covered with frost directly on the icon. The Derzhavnaya icon in the church of the same name was revealed in Kolomenskoye on the day of the Emperor’s abdication.

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Procession of the Cross

On the night of July 17, a 21-kilometer procession from the place of the death of the royal family to Ganina Yama is held annually. The procession has been organized since 1992, back in 2000 it involved only 300 people, now – more than 50 thousand. In the Church on the Blood the night service is finished, after which a procession is organized with roundeliers and priests at the head. It is possible to join the laity following them at any point along the route. On the way the procession is accompanied by sisters of mercy and volunteers – you can recognize them by their red T-shirts – with first aid kits and holy water. The journey lasts about 5 hours; those who for health reasons can not go further: women with children, the elderly, the disabled – put in buses. Outside the fence of the monastery, military tents are set up for the participants to rest, and water and food from the field kitchen are distributed on the territory. The highway to the monastery is blocked, pilgrims leave their cars at the helipad in the village of Shuvakish. Back participants of the procession are taken by free buses to Sredneuralsk, Shuvakish, from where you can get to Yekaterinburg by train.

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Information for visitors

The monastery is open to visitors from 6 to 21 hours, but this is the time of admission to the complex, and the schedule at each temple is different, depending on the day of the week, and on church holidays. At the entrance, women in pants are given long aprons and shawls. Entrance to the monastery is conditionally free, donations from 100 rubles are welcome.

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Excursions and museum on the territory of the monastery

Excursions by prior request are held from 10.30 to 17.00 hours, you can order and lunch in the refectory for pilgrims. Those wishing to familiarize themselves with the sights of Ganina Yama on their own can visit the museum in the basement of the Church of the Power Icon from 10.30 to 16.00 hours. Documents, photos, printed publications of the reign of Nicholas II, personal belongings, items from the Ipatiev House are kept here. The exposition is divided into zones telling about the last days of the life of the imperial family.

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Monastery souvenirs

In the refectory for pilgrims, located to the right of the entrance, in the administrative building, you can buy fresh baked goods from 8 to 20 pm. Behind the building there is a gazebo for rest and a candle shop, open from 9 to 19 hrs. Under the bell tower there is a spring of holy water, which many visitors take with them. To the left of the entrance is an icon shop, where you can order prayers.

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How to get there

Ganina Yama is located northwest of Yekaterinburg. Visitors who are not familiar with the local roads are better to head to the monastery from the city center along the Serovsky Tract – so unofficially called the road of regional importance P352. At the intersection with the ring road you should turn left, drive about 2 km along the Yekaterinburg Ring Road, then turn north to Ganina Yama, located about 2 km from the highway. A more usual way for Ekaterinburg residents is to turn off before reaching the Yekaterinburg Ring Road to the village of Shuvakish, located 10 minutes away from the destination, then follow the signs. The journey by car will take about 40 minutes.

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Especially for pilgrims from the Northern bus station on weekends runs a bus. The schedule is designed to be in time for the festive service: on Saturday at 15.30, back at 20.30, on Sunday – at 7.00, back at 12.00. Six times a day there is a paid bus route № 223 from the metro station “Mashinostroiteli”: to the monastery from 6.28 to 19.16, back – from 7.45 to 20.32.

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