Konevets is an island worth visiting

Konevets is an island located on the west coast of the Ladoga Lake. It is visited annually by hundreds of pilgrims and tourists from all over Russia.

general information

The island of Konevets has an area of just over 8 sq. Km. Km. Its maximum length in width is about 2 km, and in length - 5 km. At the same time, the western extremity is stretched by a narrow sand spit about 1 km in length, and near the southeast coast there are several islands of granite boulders. On average, Konevets rises above the surface of Lake Ladoga at a height of 3 meters.

Konevets is an island with a temperate climate, where in summer the air temperature can reach plus thirty degrees Celsius, and in winter - drop to minus forty degrees. As for the island flora and fauna, from animals there are frogs, lizards, small rodents, foxes, hares and squirrels. Rarely, but still there are muskrats. Sometimes you can see the seals - the only mammals living in the waters of Lake Ladoga - off the coast of the island or on the coastal rocks. In addition, there is a large colony of gulls and many migratory birds. Eighty percent of Konevets is covered by pine and spruce forests. Also on the island grow deciduous trees: alder, birch, mountain ash, aspen, linden, oak, maple, poplar, chestnut and acacia. Over the past six centuries, people were brought and planted on gooseberries and currants, raspberries, plums, cherries, apple trees and lilacs.

Konevets: attractions

The object under consideration is incredibly attractive both for ecotourism lovers and for those who wish to get acquainted with its unique sights. In particular, tourists come to Konevets to see the so-called Horse-stone, which is a huge boulder with a diameter of 10 m, resembling the skull of a horse in shape. In the pre-Christian era, he was a pagan altar, on which the Finnish tribes made sacrifices. According to the legend, Saint Arseny Konevsky, who settled on the island in the 14th century, expelled from the Horse-Stone the wicked spirits that turned into ravens. In memory of this miracle in 1895 on the boulder built a small chapel, which exists to this day.

Konevets is an island considered to be one of the centers of Orthodoxy in the west of Russia, it has been of great interest to travelers for more than 6 centuries. For example, at one time Alexander the Second visited the family, Alexander Dumas, Nikolai Leskov and Fedor Tyutchev. Tourists who follow their example will be able to see the magnificent Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin and several other buildings of the 19th century.

Konevets: how to get here

To get to Konevets, you should go to the Finland Railway Station in St. Petersburg and take the train to Priozersk or to the station "Kuznechnoe". You need to get off at Gromovo station and change to the bus that follows the Sosnovo-Vladimirovka route.

Going to the island of Konevets (photo object are presented in the article) on your own car, you should leave St. Petersburg along the Priozerskoe Highway and turn to the right on 106 km. Then, after driving 0.5 km, at the fork in the village of Fruitful, make a left turn, then continue straight through the village of Zaostrovye to the intersection and turn right. After 4 km before the tourists there will be a fork in which you should turn on the sign "Vladimirskaya Bay", and after 1 km (next to the bus stop) - to the left, towards the pier.

If the journey takes place in the summer, then you need to wait for the boat cruising between the village of Vladimirovka and the island of Konevets. If it is a winter trip, when Ladoga is covered with ice, then you can get there by foot on one of the trails. Do not be afraid to get lost, as the distance you have to travel is only 5 km, and the island is clearly visible from the shore.

The best time to visit

Unfortunately, the island of Konevets, reviews of the journey to which are always enthusiastic, is a pretty hard to reach place. Those who often went there, do not recommend going on a similar trip in the periods from late October to early December and from late March to early April. The fact is that otherwise a tourist can be ashore at a time when navigation is difficult, and it's dangerous to move around on ice. Do not go to Konevets and in June, as this month there is increased activity of mosquitoes.

Where to sleep

Konevets is an island where tourists and pilgrims will not have problems with organizing an overnight stay in summer. As an option - just put a tent in the forest. In addition, Orthodox tourists can spend the night in a monastery. If it is a question of visiting the island in winter, the only way out is to take a bed in a small guest house on the beach. The building belongs to the Konevsky monastery and is intended especially for pilgrims.

Holy place

As already mentioned, for several centuries Konevets is a place of regular pilgrimage for Orthodox Christians. Such a trip has its own peculiarities and rules. In particular, those wishing to go to the Konevsky shrines should apply to the monastery pilgrimage service operating at the St. Petersburg metochion at Zagorodny Prospekt, House 7. In addition, the pilgrimage is not just an excursion. To it it is necessary to prepare very carefully and seriously, properly to be adjusted. Be sure to talk with the priest, whom you trust to receive the blessing and listen to the advice of a wise and experienced person.