Katerlez Monastery was named after the village of Katerlez (now, Voykovo), and is located in the suburbs of Kerch. It was founded in 1857 on St. George Hill, the place of the miraculous appearance of the St. George Triumphant Icon. Until the end of the 19th century, the monastery was a cloister for men. In 1900 it was turned into a monastery for women. The annual Patron Saint’s Day on April 23 (May 6 in the Orthodox calendar) was a great event in Kerch and in neighboring settlements. Thousands of people gathered, both Orthodox and Muslims, to honor St. George. After the Civil War the monastery was closed and ruined in 1924. In 1994 and 1997 two memorials were placed on St. George Hill: a memorial board on the miraculous rock and an Orthodox iron cross located on the monastery’s property. In 1997, St. George’s Monastery was re-opened for men, and in 2000 it was turned into women’s monastery. Now it is located at the foot of the hill in the rooms of the underdone hippodrome.
