Konevsky Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery - history, description and interesting facts

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

Long before the monastery appeared on the island of Konevets, the Ladoga and Karelian lands were inhabited by Finno-Ugric tribes. To the north and on the Karelian land lived the Korels, in the west, next to them, lived the East Slavic tribes: the Krivichi and the Ilmen Slavs. To the east of Lake Ladoga - Chud, along the Neva River and on the coast of the B altic Sea - Izhora and Veps. Until the very baptism of Russia, these tribes were pagan. Throughout the land, they set up many pagan temples, where they worshiped the gods Veles and Perun. In Russia, with the adoption of Christianity in 988 during the time of Prince Vladimir, the new faith spread far to the northern lands. The Konevsky Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery on Lake Ladoga was founded in 1393 by the Monk Arseniy Konevsky. His sole purpose was to convert idolaters to Christianity.

Location

Konevsky Nativity of the Mother of God Monastery is located on the island of Konevets in the west of Lake Ladoga, in the Leningrad region. This islandlocated five kilometers from the mainland. They are separated from each other by the Konevets Strait. The area of the island is about 8.5 square kilometers. Sometimes it is perceived as a twin of the Valaam Monastery, which is located on the island of Valaam in Lake Ladoga.

Konevsky Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery: history

In the Middle Ages, there were pagan temples of various Finnish tribes on Konevets. The pagans worshiped the gods they invented for themselves. One of the most revered they had was a huge boulder (over 750 tons), resembling the shape of a horse's skull. This stone was called the "Stone Horse", from which the island got its name.

Middle Ages

Arseniy Konevsky (a native of Nizhny Novgorod) founded a monastery in 1393 in order to convert polytheists to Christianity. Not much is known about Arseny himself. There is information that at the age of 20 he took monastic vows and lived in the Lisogorsky monastery in the Novgorod region for about 10 years. After that, he went to Athos and spent three years there, receiving as a blessing the icon of the Mother of God, which later became known as Konevskaya. Wishing to live more secluded, Arseniy Konevsky received a blessing from the Archbishop of Novgorod John II and chose Konevets Island for his residence. St. Arseny erected a cross and built a cell in the depths of Konevets, on a small hill. Later, when he had disciples, he moved his monastery closer to the banks of the Ladoga River.

According to the Novgorod chronicles in 1398 was builtmonastery. It can be considered that the Konevsky Monastery of the Nativity of the Theotokos was the first stone structure on the Karelian Isthmus. After the past flood (1421), it was decided to raise the monastery to a hill, where it is now. Saint Arseniy in 1421 began the construction of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin. It was the main church of the Konevsky Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery. Its main shrine is the miraculous Konevskaya Icon of the Mother of God. It was brought from Athos by Arseniy and represented Christ playing with a dove chick, which reflects spiritual purity.

During the Russian-Swedish war, which lasted from 1614 to 1617, the island was captured by the Swedes, and the monks were expelled to Nizhny Novgorod, where they were placed in the Derevyanitsky monastery. During the Great Northern War, Russia was able to regain these lands. In 1718, the abbot of the Derevyanitsky monastery received permission from Peter I to restore the monastery on the island. Resurrected in 1760, it was officially recognized as independent.

19th century

The best time of the Konevsky Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery fell on the 19th century, when the fame of it reached the capital. In 1858, Alexander II visited him with his family and other high-ranking guests. Due to their popularity, the monks were able to start building new facilities. They were built: a two-story cathedral with a bell tower (construction began in 1800 and lasted 9 years) and a high, three-story bell tower (1810-1812).

The abode was completely built of stone. Three types of monastic life have formed:

• hermit;
• dormitory;
• skitskaya.

Konevsky Skete and Kazansky Skete were created on the island.

XX century

In 1917, after the Great October Revolution, the Konevsky Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery ended up in Finland. Accordingly, it came under the jurisdiction of the Finnish Orthodox Church. On the island of Konevtse, the Finns erected fortifications. During the Russian-Finnish War (1939-1940) and the Great Patriotic War, the walls of the monastery were destroyed. After the end of the Russian-Finnish war, 11% of Finnish lands began to belong to the USSR. In March 1940, the monks went to Finland (taking with them some valuables from the church). In Finland, the Novo-Valaam Monastery was founded. During the war years 1941-1945, when the Finnish military occupied the island, a small group of monks returned to the island. In 1956, only 9 people remained from the group. They made a decision: to unite the two monasteries Valaam and Konevsky. The monks, taking with them the Konevskaya Icon of the Mother of God, went to the Papinniemi estate, which belonged to New Valaam.

On the island of Konevets, immediately after the end of the Second World War, the naval part of the Soviet Union was located. The military destroyed the monastery cemetery and the chapel, it was destroyed with a bulldozer.

In 1991, the Konevsky Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church. After that, his revival began.

In the autumn of 1991, the relics of St. Arseny Konevsky, hidden from the Swedes, who seized these lands in 1577, were brought to the monastery. The relics were kept under the floor of one of the churches; they are the main shrine of the Konevsky Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery. Another shrine - the Miraculous Konevskaya Icon of the Mother of God is still in Finland.

In 1994, the first monastic vows were made in the monastery. Today, many pilgrims and tourists come here. In order to get to the island, you need a personal blessing from the rector of the Konevsky Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery or permission from the Pilgrimage Service.

Operating cathedrals, temples, chapels, hermitages

Currently, there are several temples, chapels and sketes on the territory of the monastery. Let's take a closer look at some of them.

Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Cathedral is considered the oldest building. The place for it in 1421 was chosen by the Monk Arseniy himself. After a severe flood, it was decided to move the monastery and the monastery away from the shore of Ladoga. Later, several times the monastery was destroyed and rebuilt. The first rebuilt cathedral was wooden, it was built by Ave. Arseniy. It was burnt down in 1574 when the Swedes occupied the land. After the monks returned to the island in the 16th century, they built a new cathedral out of stone. In 1610, the Swedes recaptured these lands and completely dismantled the cathedral building. During the Northern War, Russia regainedthese lands. In 1766, the cathedral was rebuilt, but by the end of the 18th century it fell into disrepair. And in the spring of 1800, the construction of the temple began.

In just a year, the first floor was rebuilt and the ceiling was made. But there was not enough money for the second floor. In 1802, Alexander I made a donation, thanks to which it became possible to complete the second floor and finish the first floor. To date, restoration has taken place in the lower church, services are held here. The second floor was badly damaged during the years of Soviet power, it needs a major overhaul. The following shrines are located in the Cathedral: a list from the miraculous Kanev Icon of the Mother of God and an ark with the relics of St. Arseny.

Chapel of the Apparition of the Mother of God

The chapel was built on the Holy Mountain after the Mother of God appeared to Elder Joachim. The structure was placed on the very edge of the mountain, in the place where once stood a bow cross, erected by Ave. Arseniy himself. The chapel is considered the oldest building on Konevets. It was rebuilt in the 19th century. During the Soviet era, the chapel was lowered down the mountain to the pier and used as a checkpoint. When Konevets was returned to the monastery, the chapel was raised back to the Holy Mountain. The interior decoration was restored anew.

Temple in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (1815)

This stone temple was built on the site of a woodenchurches. The previous wooden church was rebuilt after the Great Northern War with the Swedes in 1718 and was consecrated in November 1719. In 1762, it was renovated and named a cemetery one - at that time a cemetery was arranged in its porch. From 1812 to 1815 the wooden building was replaced by a stone one. In the church there was a four-tiered iconostasis, the image of Ave. Arseny, images from the life of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and Arseny, and rare ancient icons. In the 40s, with the advent of the military, all this disappeared. Currently, only one fence remains from the monastery cemetery.

Konevsky Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery: abbots

Among the abbots of this monastery, in addition to Arseny Konevsky, it is worth highlighting the spiritual writer and Archimandrite Hilarion (in the world of Ivan Kirillov), who transformed the monastery, giving it a new charter.

A special role in the life of the monastery was played by the abbot Israel Andreev, who developed cattle breeding and horse breeding. It was Israel that significantly replenished the fund of the monastery library.