backpost: Pidkamin

A while back, on the same day I when to Pochaiv monastery (last week), I also visited another monastery the same day: Pidkamin. This is a Greek-Catholic Monastery. It is a pretty big premise- at one time there would have been many monks living there (it was founded I think in the 17th century). Today, there are two monks. But along with them are 106 patients at what is now a mental institute. In Soviet times, monasteries were closed and turned into mental institutions intentionally; this was the Soviets way of showing that they thought any one who believed in God was crazy. Univ monastery, for many years, was also a mental institute. It was quite an experience for me. When I was in Munich, I visited many Churches that had been destroyed in the war. But they had been completely and beautifully rebuilt. At Pidkamin, the main Church is still completely gutted. The Soviets used the church as a stable and garage. In its current condition, it could very well still fulfill that function. There are three other chapels/ on the premisis; one of those chapels is the crypt chapel. I was told that this was used as an execution chamber by the Soviets. Unbelievable. This place still has a very long way to go to being restored; and I think because of this, it had a very strong effect on me. The scars of the past were very evident. I also discovered the director of the mental institute may be from the very same village as my ancestors: Popivsti. I never got the chance to visit the town, but it was not far from Pidkamin. The bell, tetrapod, and chandelier in one of the chapels at Pidkamin was from Popivsti. I still have to do more research to see if this is the right town or not. But, he gave us a tour of the mental institute- also a completely new experience for me. Big hallways; rooms with perhaps 7-10 beds cramped inside. People wandering around everywhere. It was very interesting. Somehow, I don't think I could find a place as such in Canada. Somehow, the people there were able to fill me with joy; they were all around me; asking me questions; where I was from; if I had any holy cards or pictures for them; one lady sung us a song all the way to the main entrance. It was a very extra-ordinary experience. This day was perhaps the most interesting I have had yet on my journey.