Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin your name is no accident. September 8, 1710 Swedish fortress Kexholm (now Priozersk) surrendered to the Russian troops, commanded by Major Robert generators (Roman Vilimovich) Bruce. During those hundred years, during which the city was part of Sweden, it does not have a single Orthodox church. Therefore, under the Orthodox Church has been converted Lutheran church built in 1692 on the island Spassky. It was consecrated in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin, this holiday just celebrated on September 8.

Divine services were held here until 1836. Because of the weak foundation at this time in the northern part of the cracks, the bell tower "recoiled" from the temple, but it was a single entity. There is a need construction of new church. Place for the church was found quickly - on a hill, next to the shopping area. By May 1838, plans were developed facades and estimates. Money for the construction of the temple, as a general rule, had to find a congregation, in this case, the Holy Synod decided to make an exception, and the required amount allocated from the budget.

Construction was carried out by a local merchant Lisitsyn Andrey Vasilyevich. Construction supervision exercised architect, is the author of the project, Louis Tullius Joachim Visconti. Created by his designs fountains "Galon", "LUVE", "Moliere", "The four bishops" and now adorn the streets and squares of Paris. The most famous of his creation - Napoleon's tomb in the church of Les Invalides.

Louis Visconti knew well the Empire style - the official architectural style of the First Empire, who came to Russia from France. In his architectural works Visconti took into account the style and shape of the model projects of churches Russia developed a tone.

Dome of the Church of the Nativity is made slightly pointed upward as the helmet of ancient knight. Duplicating the shape of a dome, pointed and stretched up the window openings on the ground ringing the bell tower, deepening arches over the entrances to the church.

Perhaps the Church of the Nativity Priozersk turned out so original, because it is organically merged and, without contradicting each other, the elements of the Empire and Russian-Byzantine style and veppskie and Italian notes its stone symphony supplemented by Moscow and Eletskii.

Odnoprestolny Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was consecrated December 11, 1847. The length of the church with a bell tower of 24, 14 m, width -10, 65, the height of the temple with a dome -19, 17 m. The church had three entrances from the south, north and west. The dome has 8 windows at the bottom - 8 and between the arches - 8. There were three ovens, two - at the western entrance, one - at the altar. Inside the church was plastered and painted yellow. In the dome - on the east side - the face of the Lord Almighty, from the west - the image of the Mother of God; sail - Evangelists. The porch of the temple was made of hewn boards.

Attraction temple - one of his bell, which was cast in Stockholm in 1649. He got Kexholm who took the troops as a war trophy. It weighed 992 kg, on its surface was carved several inscriptions in Latin.

The church in its history rebuilt twice: once in 1898, the second time - in the years 1933-36.

After graduating from Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-40, and the Karelian Isthmus with Priozersk moved the USSR, the church was closed and the building it occupied under the quartermaster depot. During World War II, Finland again regained the lost territories and resumed worship in the temple, which lasted until 1944. September 19, 1944 Finland and the Soviet Union signed the Armistice Agreement, a condition which was a return to the borders of 1940. As a result, once again became a Soviet Priozersk, christmas church closed again. The building housed the temple museum, pioneer, typography, bytkombinat.

In 1991, the church returned to believers. Since 1995 he is a Priozerskoye courtyard of Nativity of the Virgin Konevsky monastery.