PIDKAMIN

The village Pidkamin (translatable into English as below the rock stone ) takes its name from an inselberg called the Devil s Rock , which is located on an adjacent hill. The land in the village and around it is full of piety. The rock stone in pre-Christian times served as a kind of talisman to protect people from evil. With the adoption of Christianity, here was located the temple-fortress. Opposite the rock on a hill was located a Dominican monastery which made. Pidkamin known. Legend says that it once sheltered 12 monks fleeing Kyiv in 1234 when it was ravaged by Mongols. They built a chapel and set up a cross but did not survive long. The Mongol invasion reached their village, the shrine was destroyed and the monks were killed. Pidkamin and the monastery of the Dominican Order are first mentioned in records from the 15th century. A century later the town was attacked once again and the monastery was demolished. It was restored to its present form in the 17-18th centuries and preserved till now in half ruined state. The Dominican Monastery today belongs to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. At present there are 2 monks and one priest living in the monastery, who are working in order to renovate this holly place. The state does not allocate any funds for restoration while the walls continue to crumble, so NGOs and private companies are helping the monks. NGOs organize volunteer camps where young people from different countries come to help the monks restore the church. Private companies provide technical assistance.