Not far from St. Petersburg on the expanses of Lake Ladoga there is an amazing and beautiful by its nature island of Konevets. The island is very popular with tourists and pilgrims. The island is rarely visited, since the communication with the coast is irregular. On the territory of the island is the Konevsky Monastery.
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Konevsky Monastery.
The monastery was founded in 1393 by the Monk Arseniy Konevsky, who wanted to convert Karelian pagans to Christianity. The location of the monastery was changed once to avoid flooding. Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin was laid Saint. Arseny in the year 1421.
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Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin.
On the island forests occupy 80% of the territory. Along the coast and in the south pine forests prevail, in the northern and central parts - spruce forests. Also on the island grow birches, alder, mountain ash and aspen. The island is rich in mushrooms and berries (blueberries, cowberries).
The island was incorporated into the Russian Empire during the Northern War of 1700-1721.
In 1917-1940 he was a part of independent Finland. But in 1941 the Soviet Union returned the territory under its jurisdiction.
After the end of the Great Patriotic War, the island was part of Russia (the USSR at that time) and was a closed territory.
Today the island and the monastery are a historical and architectural monument of Russia.