Konevets Isle and Monastery

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Luda suggested our going for a one-day weekend excursion because she had more time for leisure (she does French lessons on Sunday). Without thinking too long, I proposed a trip to Konevets Isle. The proposal having been accepted, I bought two ‘tickets’ from the already known Pervye Linii Company. As I have already mention, I gradually visit all more or less worth-while places in the vicinity of St. Petersburg (for me ‘vicinity’ applies if a place is located not father than about 10-12 hours of drive by train or bus; however, I may extend the notion to 20-hour train journeys as well – to Kola Peninsula, for instance).



Konevets Isle is located in the west of Ladoga Lake, seven kilometers from Vladimirskaya Bay, 170 kilometers from Petersburg (by water). The bus took us from Petersburg to Vladimirskaya Bay where we boarded the vessel to be taken to the isle. It was windy and huge waves beat on the vessel’s sides, flooding all over the windows. This was my second experience with Ladoga Lake and not the last, I hope.



As we approached the isle, waves grew smaller and finally disappeared completely (the isle must have prevented the wind’s activity). Narrow patches of sand could be seen along the isle’s outline, and it was all covered with woods. We also noticed the shy crosses of monastery hidden in the foliage. The monastery is not visible well from the water.



I did not expect it but I got bored by all the stories related to religion, monks, Holy Virgins, icons etc. Perhaps I was so impatient because of the cold I have caught somewhere. Still, I have realized that too much talking about religion is not good for me – for me, a couple of words, a quick glance at a church interior and a longer one at its exterior is sufficient. The guide, let praise be hers, narrated about everything in great detail.



We went to a white chapel, having previously seen the stele in memory of Emperor Alexander II’s visit to the isle (he came with his family in 1858). The isle was also visited by Alexander Dumas, Fyodor Tyutchev and Nikolai Leskov (the latter two were Russian men of letters). After that, we entered the monastery and went inside the cathedral. I felt really out of place there (inside the cathedral, I mean). After the Great Patriotic War, the isle was closed for public and accommodated a naval base and a testing ground of chemical weapons, solid-propellant rockets, torpedo and marine mine weapons. Traces of military activity can be still seen on the isle. Wiki says that the testing ground is still operating on the isle (imagine such neighbours – a monastery and a military testing ground!)



The monastery was founded in 1393 by the reverend Arseniy Konevsky who wanted to convert the heathen Karelians to Christianity. The cathedral was founded by Arseniy in 1421, its main holy thing being the Konevskaya Icon of Madonna, depicting Christ playing with a pigeon nestling, symbolizing spiritual purity.



Then we went to the second ‘floor’ of the cathedral (under renovation, with frescoes in a poor state) where two men in black robes chanted beautifully some prayers for us. I liked it but had to go out and drink water because of my annoying cough. Then the guide showed us one more small chapel, after which the repast was planned (rather expensive, 300 roubles for a modest meal of cabbage soup and buckwheat porridge, vegetable salad and compote).



The next place of interest was located in ‘the heart of the forest’. It was the Kon-Kamen (the Horse-Stone), sort of a pagan sanctuary. Outwardly, it is a very large stone lying amongst trees with a small chapel on its top, whereto leads a timber staircase. It is supposed to be a site of heathen rituals. The stone resembles a horse’s head in shape. A legend was narrated to us that Karelians used the isle as a summer pasture for their horses and sacrificed one horse annually. In 1895, a timber chapel of Arseniy Konevsky was built on the stone’s top. The stone is also said to be the favourite place for isle’s mosquitoes.



From there, we climbed a small hill to reach another interesting place. The isle’s mean altitude above Ladoga Lake level is 3 meters, but is has elevated areas – hills called Snake’s (29 meters) and Feasts (Zmeinaya and Prazdniki). The third hill is called Svyataya and is 34 meters high; it is called ‘Holy’ in honour of the miraculous apparition of Madonna to monk Joachim, who came here to ask the Holy Mother for intercession. Later, a chapel and a small monastery (skete) were built on the hill. Under the roof of the chapel’s porch small birds were building their nest – they would come at long intervals with a straw or a branch and then fly off again.



We returned to the monastery and the guide showed us a small monastery history museum with lots of photos and a few other items, plus a room representing a cell.





We had almost two hours of spare time, spending them peacefully sitting on the lake shore and enjoying the warm sun. I felt so sleepy I could hardly hold my head up.

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