President of Russia: Vladimir Putin visited the restored Konevsky Monastery

Recently, the President of Russia Vladimir Putin visited the Konevsky Monastery of the Nativity of Theotokos that occupies the Konevets Island of Lake Ladoga.

The monastery was built in the early XIX century. Later it was practically ruined and remained in a deplorable state. In 2016, Vladimir Putin visited Konevets and gave instructions to restore the main temple and Skete of the Theotokos of Konevets. Today, the monastery has been restored by the forces of Rosneft. Igor Sechin, the director of the Oil Company, accompanied the head of state during his visit to the monastery.

Konevsky Monastery is located in the western part of Lake Ladoga. It was founded by St. Arseny Konevsky in 1393. The Swedes captured the island twice, in 1577 and 1610. The island was under Swedish reign for a hundred years (after the devastation in 1610 and until the end of the Northern War). The monastery cathedral was plundered and practically destroyed. Only the foundation bases remained from the stone Cathedral of the Nativity of Theotokos. In 1809, the cathedral was revived and rebuilt in stone.

Since 1918, the island of Konevets used to be a part of Finland. In the 1930s, units of the Finnish army were quartered here; the island was fortified with artillery. During the Great Patriotic War in August 1944, Konevets finally entered the Soviet Union. In 1991, the Konevsky Monastery was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church.