Situated on the banks of the Seversky Donets River near the city of Sviatohirsk in Donetsk Oblast (province) in eastern Ukraine, the Sviatohirsk Lavra is a historic Orthodox Christian monastery whose history dates back to the 14th Century. Delegates at Routes CIS took a long journey to the site to get a short view of the stunning Uspenskiy cathedral and Pokrovskaya church as well as the chalk caves, which stretch more than 800 metres below the surface.

It is understood that the first monks settled at the Monastary in the 14th-15th centuries with the first written mention of the monastery recorded in 1526. In 1624, the monastery was officially recognised under the title Sviatohirsk Uspensky Monastery and became of great importance to the protection of the Russian Empire.

Speaking to The HUB about the excursion, Ilona Forminykh, Head of Marketing, Airport of Regions in Russia said: “It definitely was a unique experience. What was really striking was the grandeur of the monastery complex amid the natural setting. The singing in the monastery was really beautiful. Today is a religious holiday in Ukraine and the church was packed with people who were eager to participate in the service and sung along with the priest."

Olga Zabolotnia, Sales Executive, APG Ukraine added: "For me, as a Ukrainian, the monastery is a very important place. It was my first visit and I was very happy to be given an opportunity to go there. Many people go there just to pray. Spiritually, this is a location where we Ukrainians feel God is near. The monastery has a stunning setting, amid the 'Holy Hills' as they are known."

Here are some images from the visit: