Valdai Iver Monastery

The history of the monastery begins in 1652. Then Patriarch Nikon was attracted by the beauty of the Valdai Lake and he decided to open a monastery on the coast. The money for the construction of the monastery was personally allocated by Tsar Alexei Romanov. A year later, two wooden churches appeared. At the same time, the lake was renamed Saint, and the village in Bogoroditsky. Two years later, the Assumption Cathedral was built next to the churches of brick.

The beginning of the XVIII century for the monastery was marked by decline. The prayers stopped, and the buildings were given under the leadership of the Alexander Nevsky Monastery. From Valdai even transported a huge bell. Then the buildings almost collapsed. The restoration of the shrine began in 1991. The monastery was restored and opened to visitors. The last work was completed in 2011. In addition to cathedrals and temples, a museum dedicated to Patriarch Nikon was created on the territory of the monastery.