Konevsky Monastery

Konevsky Monastery (Russian: Коневский Рождество-Богородичный монастырь, Finnish: Konevitsan Jumalansynnyttäjän syntymän luostari) is a Russian Orthodox monastery that occupies Konevets Island in the western part of the Lake Ladoga near the village of Vladimirovka, Leningradsky District, Russia. It is often regarded as the twin monastery with the Valaam Monastery, also located on an island in the same lake. The monastery was founded around 1393 by St. Arseny Konevsky, who wished to convert pagan Karelians to Christianity. The location of the monastery was changed several times, in order to avert floods. The cathedral of the Nativity of the Theotokos was founded by St. Arseny in 1428; it was at this church that the monastery's main shrine was placed. It was a miraculous image of God's Mother, brought by St. Arseny from Mount Athos and representing Christ playing with a dove nestling, symbolizing spiritual purity. The cloister depended upon Novgorod until 1760, when it was officially recognized as a separate monastic establishment. In the 19th century its fame spread to the imperial capital. As a consequence of its high profile, the monastic community could fund extensive building projects, starting with the construction of a new cathedral in 1800-09. This huge two-storey eight-pillared building was designed by a local starets.