The Discalced Carmelite Monastery in Berdychiv is a 17th-century fortress-monastery on the banks of the Hnylypyat River. Walls with towers, the gatehouse building, and the church form a complex that resembles a castle from afar. Since 1998, it has been the All-Ukrainian Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mount Carmel – the main pilgrimage and indulgence site for Roman Catholics in Ukraine.
History
The monastery was founded on the site of an old castle, so from the very beginning it was built as a fortification: Berdychiv lay on the restless border of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Carmelites made it a center of pilgrimage to the miraculous icon of Our Lady of Berdychiv. During Soviet times, the monastery was closed, and after independence, it was returned to the church and restored.
What to See
Defensive walls with towers, the gatehouse building, the main church, and the lower Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The walls offer a view of the river and the old town. Every year in July, thousands of pilgrims gather here.
Nearby
In the center of Berdychiv is the Church of Saint Barbara, where Balzac married in 1850. Verkhivnia with the Hanski estate is about 30 km away. More can be found in the article about Berdychiv Raion.
