Konevets is a small island on Lake Ladoga. For 6 centuries it has been a point of attraction, a place of strength for thousands of people. Here is the Konevsky Nativity-the Theotokos Monastery.
For several centuries, the monastery has been destroyed more than once. But he rose again and again. And now it is experiencing a new revival.
Sign from above
Many legends are associated with the appearance of the monastery. According to one of them, the Novgorod monk Arseny I sailed along Ladoga in search of a place for a new monastery. A strong storm forced him to moor to the island of Konevets. Having survived the bad weather, Arseny decided to continue the journey, but the boat was washed ashore again. He understood: this is a sign from above.
Gradually, his disciples began to arrive on the island, and in the XV century, the monk and like-minded people laid a cathedral here. The main shrine was the miraculous icon, transferred from Mount Athos. It depicts Christ, playing with a baby pigeon. Now the original relic is kept in the Novo-Valaam Monastery in Finland, and there is a list of it on the island.
For 6 centuries, the monastery has experienced different times. It was twice captured by the Swedes & mdash; ruined so that the monks were forced to leave the monastery. The best years were at the end of the XIX-beginning of the XX century. Then 300 monks lived here. A majestic cathedral with a bell tower, beautiful iconostases, frescoes. According to the inventory of 1863, 8 thousand books were stored in the local library.
Thousands of pilgrims came to this holy place. In 1858, he came Emperor Alexander II with the whole family. -We have been here and left enthusiastic memories Nikolay Leskov, Alexandre Dumas, Fyodor Tyutchev.
In 1918, the island of Konevets was under the jurisdiction of Finland, and units of the Finnish army were stationed on it. After the defeat of this country in the Winter War of 1940, it was returned to Russia.
By the way, miracle or not, but during the heavy bombing, not a single shell hit the temple. And none of the monks were even injured. Only the gardener’s house burned down. Nevertheless, in 1940, the brothers, 31 people, in order to save valuables and shrines, went to the mainland, to Finland, on the ice of Ladoga. Only the iconostasis and church bells were left.
After the end of the Great Patriotic War, a naval base was located on Konevets, and in the 1950s and 1960s, torpedoes, mines, and depth charges were tested here.
Everything has changed
In 1991, the monastery was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church. The buildings were partially destroyed by that time, the decoration and painting were largely lost, especially in the upper temple.
It was not easy to get here. At first, it was a long way to Vladimirskaya Bay with a shaky pier. Then a ferry across the Ladoga River on a small and unhurried monastery boat.
On the island itself, the situation remained Spartan for a long time. Electricity was provided by diesel and intermittently, so guests were asked to stock up on candles. Stove heating, outdoor amenities, food & mdash; with you. If a storm started on Ladoga, communication with nearby settlements could be interrupted for a month. And in winter, the inhabitants of the monastery were generally cut off from the Mainland. It was possible to get to it only on foot on the ice or on skis.
Everything changed 5 years ago. In July 2016, Konevets visited Vladimir Putin. I went into the temple, put a candle. They say that some parishioners did not even immediately realize that the president was next to them. The Head of state decided to revive the monastery and entrusted it to the company “Rosneft”, which took over the entire large-scale reconstruction. And her head Igor Sechin, according to Patriarch Kirill, & laquo;took the main responsibility for the restoration of the monastery». All the works were carried out within the framework of the charity activities of the oil company.
Today we can see how much has been done. The previously unsettled bay, from where the path to the shrine begins, has turned into a multifunctional complex. A deep-water berth, a modern gas station, a floating refueling station and a station for towing ships, as well as a comfortable hotel and catering enterprises have been built here. There is an uninterrupted transport connection. Pilgrims and tourists will be quickly taken to the island by a boat, a ferry “Holy Prince Vladimir” or a hovercraft (there are two of them here).
A large pier and an embankment delight the eye on Konevets itself. Near the pier there is a cafe where delicious pastries and branded kvass according to the recipe of 1762 The two-story brick Guest house, which appeared in the XVIII century, attracts attention. In the 1950s, the military adapted the premises for a diesel engine. And now the building is completely restored & mdash; there you can take a break, buy souvenirs, admire the paintings. The White Hotel (for clergy) and the Red Hotel (for pilgrims who can stay for a few days) have been restored. A museum of the monastery was created.
Cable along the bottom of Ladoga
There are also no problems with electricity. A high-voltage cable was laid from the mainland along the bottom of Ladoga. On the island, sewage was carried out, a stable mobile connection was established. There is a fire station and a medical center. There is a helipad.
A farm that looks more like a cottage stops the eye. There is no comparison with the pen for goats and pigs, which was here before and exuded “aromas”. Soon they will bring chickens, piglets & mdash; now the monastery is looking for a specialist, or rather a family of livestock breeders who will be engaged in this farm. Fresh air, lake, forest, mushrooms and berries are guaranteed.
“We could not even dream of such a large-scale reconstruction,” Archimandrite Alexander, the vicar of the Konevsky Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery, told . Of course, the brethren did not expect that so many new people and construction equipment would appear. But we found a compromise: we changed the service schedule, went to meet each other halfway. As a result, it turned out as it should. I do not remember that somewhere else in 4 years such an old monastery was restored so qualitatively. In addition, it was necessary to withstand the technology, to get approvals. We are lucky that Rosneft has a very competent, experienced team. Everything was done clearly and smoothly.
As they say in the company itself, the main thing in this big project was the most careful attitude to monuments. They created new things without disturbing the harmony and monastic way of life.
The historical appearance of the monastery was restored as of the middle of the XIX century. & mdash; the peak of the monastery’s heyday. Both churches of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin & mdash; the center of the monastery ensemble & mdash; have been restored. Paintings and carved iconostases have been restored. Plaster layers of walls and vaults, windows, plank flooring, limestone facing of vestibules, steps and platforms were recreated. Engineering networks have been carried out. The cast-iron stairs were repaired, the original appearance of the Gate Bell Tower and the St. Nicholas Chapel, which in the old days also served as a lighthouse, was returned.
Inside the restored Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin. Photo: provided by the press service of Rosneft
On July 7, 2019, the great consecration of the revived cathedral was performed by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
Today, the Konevsky Monastery has a completely different life. Boats come to the pier every day & mdash; they bring excursion and pilgrimage groups. Cruise liners are also moored. This year, a visit to the island is included in 64 tourist routes. Tourists go with pleasure, because there are all the necessary conditions for a modern person. In summer, there is a children’s camp.
Visiting the shrine is now not a problem. Photo: provided by the press service of Rosneft
Thanks to the help of responsible business, the monastery received an excellent material base. So, like 100 years ago, thousands of people will come here. This was the main task of all those who helped the revival and continue to support the holy monastery.
By the way
Bells with a total weight of 14 tons were cast for the monastery belfry in Voronezh. And one of them is recreated from a randomly found “language” of the first quarter of the XVIII century. In order to achieve authenticity in the smallest details, masters from all over the country have united. And the senior bell ringer of the Moscow Kremlin, Igor Konovalov, spent several days in the archives of the Hermitage.
In 2017, the bells were consecrated by Bishop Ignatius of Vyborg and Priozersky. President Vladimir Putin took part in the celebration-he visited the monastery again, and again without warning and official events. I checked the progress of the work and evaluated what was done.