The Konstantin-Eleninsky Nunnery (Leningrad Region) belongs to the diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church and is located in the Vyborg District of St. Petersburg, on land that previously belonged to the Principality of Finland.
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The village of Leninskoye, where the monastery is located, was previously the Finnish border village of Haapala, which means "aspen". It was there that the monastery was built, despite the fact that before on this earth Orthodox churches never stood, because the inhabitants of Finland professed Lutheranism.
At the beginning of the 20th century, in one of the parts of the village, the Lintulla Nunnery began to exist, built thanks to John of Kronstadt. However, it did not last long and was closed due to the advent of communism and the weakening of the institution of the church.
The Konstantin-Eleninsky monastery begins its history with a small Orthodox community that originated in the village in 1998. The place allocated for its construction was the charred ruins of a club burned during perestroika. And by a lucky coincidence, the temple of the Great Martyr Andrew of Crete, previously converted into a factory premises after closing, was also located there.
They didn’t pull it with their plans: already in June of that year the church was laid, and seven months later the domes were on the roof of the church.
In 1999, bells were placed on the belfry, and the service was held here for the first time at the Christmas post. Since then, worship in the temple has been ongoing.
In 2001, the church was consecrated by Patriarch Alexy II in honor of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helena.
The Constantine-Eleninsky Monastery was created recently - in May 2006, with the blessing of Metropolitan Vladimir. A few months later, his status was confirmed by the Holy Synod.
On the territory of the monastery churches were built in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and the Nativity of Christ.
Church of St. Andrew the Crete
This temple is located on Riga Avenue, not far from the Azimut Hotel. However, in the midst of buildings it is very easy to lose sight of it, since it gives itself out only to a golden bell tower towering above the rest of the buildings.
In 2006, he entered the courtyard of the Konstantin-Eleninsky monastery and was restored. Now in the temple you can offer a prayer in front of the relics of many revered saints and see the famous icons of Athos icon painters.
Recently, the Holy Trinity Monastery (formerly Lintulla) in the village of Ogony entered the monastery courtyard. In 2008, a procession was even organized to the Lintull Monastery, lasting about 10 km.
History of the Church of St. Andrew the Crete
The Konstantin-Eleninsky monastery has nothing to do with this event. The reason for the creation of the temple was an accident, thanks to which the imperial family miraculously survived the train crash in October 1888.
The transport turned out to be faulty, which led to the derailment at a speed of 70 km per hour. The death toll amounted to 21 people. All of them were in the royal structure along with the imperial couple and their children, including the heir to the throne, Nicholas. However, the August family escaped with only minor injuries.
On the eve of the anniversary of this event, it was decided to erect a temple, and three years later it was built. Of all the saints whose memory was celebrated that day, Andrew of Crete was chosen.
After the 1917 revolution, the temple was taken away for public needs, and only at the end of the 20th century did its revival begin. And in 2006, when the Konstantin-Eleninsky convent was approved by the Synod, the church was taken over by the monastery, becoming its courtyard.
Monastery Shrines
As mentioned earlier, there are three more churches in the monastery.
Nikolsky holds the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker, Spiridon of Trimifuntsky, Alexander Nevsky, Seraphim of Savor, and this is not a complete list. Perhaps this is one of the richest temples in the shrine. The Church of the Nativity of Christ is intended only for baptism, it is noteworthy for its fonts, in which you can immerse not only children, but also adults.
The Konstantin-Eleninsky monastery has a huge number of shrines (more than fifty). Here are collected particles of great relics, including the remains of Filaret of Moscow, John Chrysostom and Mary Magdalene. Moreover, the monastery is rich in revered icons, some of which were painted even at the time of the emergence of this branch of art.
Organizations at the monastery
There is a Sunday school for all ages and a pilgrimage house (hotel), an almshouse for elderly clergy is being built. The monastery accepts pilgrims, but conflicts often arise due to the appearance of the guests. Women often sin by the lack of a skirt, and men's clothing in the summer is too frank by the standards of this place. Such negligence is unacceptable and offensive to nuns and clergy.
Pilgrimage groups can include up to 30 people (by prior arrangement). The hotel conditions are very good: they provide food, warm rooms and hot water.
How to get there
The Konstantin-Eleninsky monastery in St. Petersburg is located in the village of Leninsky. By public transport, it can be reached in two ways:
- By train from the Finnish railway station of St. Petersburg to the station "Repino" with a transfer to bus number 408 to Leninsky.
- Through the metro of St. Petersburg. It is necessary to get to the station. m. "Parnas". From there, you will have to take the shuttle bus number 600, which stops near the monastery.
To get to the monastery by car, it’s worth specifying the route using interactive maps, but you will have to leave the iron horse at some distance from the destination — parking near the monastery is not welcome.