Alexander-Svirsky Monastery is a Russian Orthodox monastery situated 20 km (12.5 mi) East of Lake Ladoga in Leningrad Oblast in Northwest Russia. It was found in 1487 by monk Alexander.
History of Alexander- Svirsky Monastery
Alexander-Svirsky Monastery was founded in 1487 by a monk named Alexander Svirsky who came here from Valaam Monastery.
He chose this site as a missionary outpost as it was inhabited by pagan tribes like karels, veps, tschudi and many others. Legend claims that here he had a vision of Holy Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Ghost) who ordered him to construct two chapels.
One was dedicated to the Holy Trinity and other one was dedicated to the Savior’s Transfiguration.
It is considered to be the beginning of Alexander-Svirsky Monastery named after his founder. Two cloisters began to grow as new monks began to flock to the area to join holy father in his prayers.
These were two separate formations that were united by a road along the monastery lake. Alexander Svirsky died on August 1533 and was buried by his disciples in the cloister of Transfiguration where generations of subsequent brethren were laid to rest.
Alexander-Svirsky Monastery reached its heyday in the 17th century due to rich donations from the royals, nobility and other rich people. During reign of Catherine the Great Alexander-Svirsky Monastery was secularized in 1764.
Most of lands and serfs were taken away by the government. The Transfiguration cloister was turned into a residence of the Olonets archbishops as well as a local seminary.
In the autumn 1918 Alexander-Svirsky Monastery was captured and sacked by the Soviet troops. Its rector Archimandrite Eugene (Trofimov) was arrested and later executed in Olonets.
It was converted to a concentration camp (Svirlag or Svirsky Camp), disability home and also psychiatric hospital. Alexander-Svirsky Monastery was restored in 1997 after it was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church.