Стопа Матери Божией, Holy spring at Pochaiv Lavra, Ukraine.
The Footprint of the Mother of God is a holy spring inside the Pochaiv Lavra, a major monastery in western Ukraine, formed around a natural depression in limestone that fills with water. It sits below floor level inside the Church of the Assumption, protected behind glass.
In the 13th century, monks and local people reported seeing the Virgin Mary appear on Pochaiv Mountain, leaving her imprint in the rock. This event gave the monastery its spiritual standing and set it on a path to becoming one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in Ukraine.
Orthodox and Greek Catholic pilgrims come here to collect water, which they regard as healing. The stone hollow said to hold the footprint is treated as a living sign of the Virgin Mary's presence at this site.
Access to the spring is through the Church of the Assumption, which is part of an active monastery complex. Visitors should bring modest, covering clothing, as appropriate dress is required to enter.
The water in the hollow maintains a constant level throughout the year, even though pilgrims collect large amounts of it every day. The hollow itself is cut into the natural bedrock and was not shaped by human hands.
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