St. Barbara's Convent

The St. Barbara Convent for Women (the former Carmelite convent) is a whole complex of buildings that appeared here during the 17th-18th centuries. Given the different dates of construction, there is still a dispute over who founded the convent — Anastasiia Chernetska or Princess Teofiliia-Liudvyha Liubomyrska.

Photo from zabytki.in.ua

On the convent grounds there were not only the convent building and the church, but also everything needed for living: pasture for livestock, a garden and a kitchen garden. After the convent grounds were transferred to the Exaltation of the Cross Hermitage in 1890, most of the buildings suffered devastating destruction. As they were leaving the complex, the nuns destroyed everything in the buildings that could be ruined: the floors, windows, stoves, and all the belongings. However, everything was restored quickly. Since then, the Carmelite convent passed into the possession not only of the Orthodox administration, but also of Catholic monks. With the advent of Soviet power, the convent premises were no longer used for their intended purpose. Only in 2004 were they given over to the St. Barbara Convent for Women and a hospice.