Alanian Dormition Monastery

The Alanian Holy Dormition Monastery stands in the village of Khidikus, in the Kurtatinsky Gorge of the Alagirsky District in North Ossetia-Alania, about 60 km from Vladikavkaz. It is one of the highest-altitude Orthodox monasteries in Russia, surrounded by the gorge's rocky slopes.

History

The monastery was established by a decision of the Holy Synod on 19 April 2000, with Bishop Feofan (Ashurkov) credited as its founder. The site was not chosen at random: in the Middle Ages it held the family settlement of the Gusov clan. Two watchtowers from that time, built in the 17th and 18th centuries, survive and are now part of the monastery complex, serving as its bell tower. In 1848 the Church of the Holy Myrrhbearing Women was built nearby, with a house for the parish priest. During the Soviet years the buildings were destroyed and abandoned; restoration of the monastery on this site began only in the 1990s.

A legend about the move to the mountains

According to tradition, elder Ippolit (Khalin) foretold the monastery's move specifically to the Kurtatinsky Gorge: he pointed to the exact spot among the mountains where the monastery should stand and gave it its name in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. Under that name the monastery was rebuilt on the foundations of old Ossetian structures.

The monastery today

The Alanian Dormition Monastery belongs to the Vladikavkaz Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. Its architecture combines Byzantine and Alanian features; the buildings are made of local stone in a traditional Caucasian style that echoes the gorge's medieval towers. The complex includes the Dormition Cathedral, several churches, the old watchtowers, monks' residential buildings and farm structures. One of the churches holds a copy of the icon of the Mother of God "Mozdokskaya", venerated across the North Caucasus. As of 2017, 25 monks lived at the monastery.

Getting there

The monastery lies about 60 km from Vladikavkaz. It can be reached by car, taxi or a scheduled bus along the road through the Kurtatinsky Gorge to the village of Khidikus — one of the more accessible mountain routes in North Ossetia. Every Saturday, early in the morning, a bus with pilgrims leaves Vladikavkaz and brings them right to the monastery walls.

Good to know

The monastery sits high in the mountains, so weather should be taken into account: the Kurtatinsky Gorge can see sharp temperature swings and fog even in summer. As an active monastery, it is open to pilgrims and visitors who follow the usual rules for visiting an Orthodox church.