А. М. Кamyshev
Photos by Sergey Pyshnenko

In August of 2005 a research group headed by the author, consisting of Issyk-Kul archaeological expedition headed by academician V. M. Ploski, carried out scientific research into the legendary Armenian brothers’ Christian monastery on the eastern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul. According to a Catalan map of the 14th century, relics of the Saint, Apostle and Evangelist Matthew exist there. The location is therefore the subject of long-term scientific disputes and exploration. One group of scientists claims the monastery is on the southern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul, another on the northern, while some believe it is now under water.

Recently our area of research moved to the outskirts of Kurmenty village on the eastern shore of the lake where a group found and researched an underground structure known as the “Monk’s diggings” to local people. The underground galleries are located about 1.5 km due southeast from the place where the Holy Trinity Monastery was built in the late 19th and early 20th century. Roughly midway between these two, on the cliff of one Tyup creek, the Kurmenty settlement dating from the 8th-14th century has survived. Such a close location of the underground structure to the Christian monastery has given rise to speculation as to its time of construction.
            It should be stated that the location of the underground complex was not selected at random. From the top of the small hill it is possible to see the whole of the eastern end of the lake. Moreover the peninsula, which only 100 years previously was an islet, is well protected from enemy eyes by the fall of the land. In the middle of the tree-covered hill, two underground galleries cross at right angles with a total length of about 30 m. The galleries have several branches ending in small cells or blockages. According to local information the cave complex has two levels and on the lower floor (accessed forty years ago) were about thirty cells. At the present time, the underground galleries are in poor condition. The bases of the arches have collapsed and the entrances to the cave and to the lower floor are blocked.  
    The first survey did not give exact results as to the age of the structure. One researcher suggested that the cave complex was built during the time of the existing Kurmenty settlement and bore direct relation to the founding of the Armenian brothers’ monastery. Another version was that it was a hermitage built by hermits of the Orthodox Issyk-Kul Holy Trinity monastery at the end of the 19th century. The first version was widely accepted by the media, and the underground complex, described by some tourist firms as a medieval monastery, became the object of intensive visiting by groups of tourists from Almaty and Bishkek. The answer to questions as to the location of the medieval monastery and the date of the underground temple could have been given by archaeological research.    
          Archive research has shown that Kurmenty was first reported as the possible location of a Christian monastery by the Russian traveler P. P. Semenov Tien-Shanski 150 years ago: “… We went out, passing by Kurmenty Bay to the shore of Lake Issyk-Kul at that place with the truly magical view. During my stay in Venice at the beginning of 50th on the famous Catalan map preserved there, I saw a picture of Lake Issyk-Kul for the first time; on the northern side was inscribed the monastery of Nestorian Christians, who had of course come as refugees from Middle Eastern countries (Syria) to deepest Asia and founded their own monastery on the shore of Lake Issyk-Kul. Evidently if this monastery was located on Kungey, the monks who founded it chose it from the numerous other bays because it was protected from the stormier parts of the lake and was rich with fish. Kurmenty Bay has these conditions but, alas, I did not find either on its shore, or in the large amount of sediment from neighboring shores anything which justifies my assumption…” Despite the Russian traveler’s route passing less than 1 km from the Kurmenty settlement, there is no mention of it in his writings.

In 1882 on Lake Issyk-Kul, by order of bishop Alexander (Kulchitski), the monastery known as Holy Trinity was founded. The shore of Lake Issyk-Kul was clearly the best place for a monastery – the beauty and greatness of nature, and the silence and seclusion of this land could not but be conducive to the godly life of the Enochs. The Right Reverend Alexander himself arrived in the Issyk-Kul region and stopped in Preobrajenskoe village (now called Tyup). He set up a big wooden cross on the place where the monastery temple was to be built. By a strange set of circumstances this place was next to the Kurmenty settlement where it is thought the Armenian brothers’ monastery could be located. Bishkek and Central Asian Metropolitan Vladimir is persuaded that the close proximity of two Christian monasteries – the medieval one now perhaps under the water, and the 19th century Holy Trinity monastery - is manifestation of God’s will. Unfortunately such a view is not confirmed by historical fact. However such proximity is possible. In the neighboring Kurmenty settlement a silver amulet box with a pattern made by technology scan in a frame of four crosses was found in 2003. In 2005, the head of Issyk-Kul’s historical-cultural museum reserve, Radiy Nurmambetov, reported finding two medieval crosses in a find consisting of several silver and bronze items.
          The most detailed description of the Kurmenty settlement was given by the famous orientalist V.V. Bartold who visited it in 1884: “…On the lake shore, opposite the Kurmenty gorge the Russian monastery was built. To the east of the monastery we were escorted by the monks to inspect the ruins of a considerable fortification, surrounded by a rise on all sides. According to the measurements of Mr Dudin, the height of the rise is 1.5 sazhen, and the length of each side 200 sazhen. The fortification is protected by a small creek to the west, a wide ditch to the north, and is bordered by a ravine, which drops to the lake to the south. Unlike the usual tumuli, the square of fortification is covered with numerous small hills, probably the remains of some structures…” As can be seen from his detailed notes, he was a careful and conscientious researcher; despite being escorted by local monks, he did not mention the underground galleries located next to the settlement. Perhaps they did not exist at that time, and if built recently, they clearly did not interest V. V. Bartold, otherwise he would have mentioned them.   
         In 1949 the Tien-Shan archaeological expedition (headed by A. N. Bernshtam) carried out research work on the settlement. The results were not published. Excavations made on the settlement are cut with cultural depositions to the depth of 1.5 – 2.5 m. The remains of buildings made from adobe bricks were uncovered. On the basis of the excavated materials it was concluded that about two periods of settlement existed: 8th – 10th centuries and 10th – 13th centuries. No archaeological excavations on the settlement have been carried out for the last 50 years.
           In 2006 scientists and experts from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Armenia met to discuss the possibilities of developing a historical-cultural complex, consisting of monuments located next to each other. During a round table discussion, one report was shown which quoted from a diary of an Issyk-Kul Holy Trinity monastery superior, kept in a government archive.   The temple-chapel built on the island by the hermit Kirill Katilevski was mentioned in the diary. “…During the Kyrgyz rebellion of 1916, one of the monastery guests Naumov who arrived at Issyk-Kul with his children, hid on the island of “grandfather” Kirill Katilevski, who lived there permanently spending time in pious fasting and prayer. Naumov moved to his island, hid the boat in the reeds, and spent his days in the cave-chapel built by Katilevski and the nights in his well-kept house…”. This brief eye-witness evidence, exactly detailing who built the cave and when, put a line through the dozens of beautiful and original theories of scientists, students of local lore and journalists about it being the ruins of the Armenian brothers’ Christian monastery. However the caved temple-chapel is a unique historical monument of Kyrgyzstan. To restore and preserve it, it is necessary to carry out restoration works urgently. Then undoubtedly, the complex will become one of the most visited places by pilgrims and tourists on Lake Issyk-Kul.