The first mention of Grabarka dates back to the 13th century, when a Tartar invasion caused the precious icon of Spas Izbawnik (the local version of Jesus Christ) to be taken from the nearby church of Mielnik and hidden in the forests of Grabarka to prevent its theft or destruction. Though the painting was never returned to Mielnik, the legend of Spas and Grabarka grew stronger from that date on. The mountain became the place of pilgrimages and the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

International fame, however, hit Grabarka a little later, when the second and far more spectacular miracle occurred here in 1710 during a deadly cholera epidemic. According to the legend, one day an old man received an order from God to lead the people to the Grabarka Mountain, to set there a holy cross and to pray for salvation. The desperate and sick villagers followed the instructions of the old man and the epidemic ended almost instantly. To commemorate this event the local people decided to build a chapel in the hills of the Grabarka.

During the following centuries Grabarka's fame didn't decline – in 1858 a Lithuanian newspaper printed an article describing the history of the place and in 1884 the Grabarka convent was enlarged to hold the largest possible number of pilgrims. Surprisingly enough, Grabarka didn't suffer any damage during Word War II and, unlike other churches in the region, after the war the chapel was allowed to operate on a regular basis. In 1947 the Holy Mount of Grabarka received the new Orthodox convent of St. Marta and Maria, which united the female orthodox community of the region. In the period 1960 to 1980 the monastery was reconstructed and enlarged several times. Regrettably, in the 1990's the historic Grabarka Convent was set on fire and almost completely destroyed. However, thanks to the financial support of the believers and the commitment of the locals, the chapel was restored in 2000, just in time for the celebration of the 2000th anniversary of Christianity.