List of Christian monasteries in Finland explained

This is an incomplete list of Christian monasteries and religious houses, both extant and dissolved, in Finland, for both men and women.

Catholic

Dissolved

• Dominican Priory, Turku (Turun dominikaanikonventti, Pyhän Olavin dominikaanikonventti), dedicated to Saint Olaf; founded by Swedish Dominicans in 1249; closed in the Reformation in 1529, and destroyed by fire in 1537^[1]
• Dominican Priory, Vyborg (Viipurin dominikaanikonventti);^{[2] [3]} founded 1392; dissolved in the Reformation in the late 1530s^[4]
• Franciscan Friary, Vyborg (Viipurin fransiskaanikonventti); Franciscan friary, first mentioned in 1403; dissolved in the Reformation in the late 1530s
• Franciscan Friary, Rauma (Rauman fransiskaanikonventti), Rauma, Satakunta; founded probably in the 14th century but first recorded in 1449; dissolved during the Reformation in 1538^[5]
• Franciscan Friary, Kökar (Kökarin fransiskaanikonventti), Hamnö island, Kökar, Åland; founded in the 14th or 15th century but first recorded in 1472, dissolved during the Reformation by 1539^[6]
• Nådendal Abbey (Naantalin luostari; Swedish: Nådendals kloster), Naantali, Southwest Finland; Bridgettine abbey (the first religious house for women in Finland) founded in 1438; dissolved in the Reformation but not finally wound up until 1591^{[7] [8]}
• Monastery of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Finland (Jumalanäidin karmeliittaluostari), Espoo; Carmelite nunnery founded in 1988; closed in 2021^[9]

Extant

• Bridgettine monastery, Turku (Turun birgittalaisluostari); Bridgettine nunnery founded in 1986^[10]

Eastern Orthodox

Old Believers

• Pahkalammi Monastery (Pahkalammen luostari) in Pahkalammi, Vuottoniemi, in Ilomantsi, North Karelia; founded 1798 by Marki Alexandrov for monks and also later nuns of the Old Believers fleeing persecution in Russia; abandoned by 1880^[11]
• Megrijärvi Monastery, also Megri (Megrijärven luostari), in Ilomantsi, North Karelia, on the Russian border; founded c.1800 by Onefrei for Old Believers fleeing persecution in Russia, initially for monks, but from 1850 also for nuns; the state acquired the property in 1914 and the last resident, a nun, left in 1919^[12]
• Pyötikö Monastery (Pyötikön luostari) in Vuokko, Juuka, North Karelia; founded in 1847 for monks of the Old Believers fleeing persecution in Russia; closed 1890^[13]
• Tavajärvi Monastery (Tavajärven luostari) in Tavajärvi, Kuusamo; founded in the 1850s for monks of the Old Believers fleeing persecution in Russia after the destruction of the monastery at Tuoppajärvi in 1852; the last monks died in the 1920s^[14]

Finnish Orthodox

• New Valamo Monastery (Valamon luostari or Uusi-Valamo), Pappiniemi, Heinävesi, North Karelia; monastery of the Finnish Orthodox Church; founded after 1940 by refugee monks from the original Valaam Monastery (on the island of Valaam, now in Russia)^[15]
• Lintula Holy Trinity Convent (Lintulan Pyhän Kolminaisuuden luostari or Lintulan luostari), Heinävesi, North Karelia; nunnery of the Finnish Orthodox Church; founded 1895 in Kivennapa (now in Russia); refounded in Heinävesi in 1946^[16]
• Pokrova Community (Pokrovan yhteisö), Kirkkonummi, Uusimaa; monastic community (without the formal status of a monastery) of the Finnish Orthodox Church; founded 1995 in the former Dannedbrog farm by the monk Hariton Tuukkanen^[17]

Lutheran

• Monastic Community of Enonkoski (Enonkosken luostari), Ihamaniemi, South Savo; Lutheran monastic community / retreat centre founded in 1994^[18]

See also

• List of Christian monasteries in Denmark
• List of Christian monasteries in Norway
• List of Christian monasteries in Sweden

Further reading

• Salomies, Ilmari, 1962: Suomen kirkon historia ["History of the Church in Finland"], 3 vols., Helsinki: Otava

Notes and References

1. https://www.studium.fi/dominicans-in-finland.html Studium.fi: Dominicans in Finland
2. not to be confused with the Dominican Priory, Viborg, which is in Denmark
3. Finnish: Viipuri

   captured by Russia in 1944

4. https://journal.fi/iskos/article/download/99580/57233 ISKOS 21, 2016: The Early Stages of the History of Vyborg: The Results of Archaeological Research 1998–2012, Aleksandr I. Saksa
5. https://www.raumanseurakunta.fi/info-ja-asiointi/historiaa Raumanseurakunta.fi: Historiaa
6. Tietosanakirja, vol. 5 Kulttuurisana-Mandingo, pp. 339-340, Helsinki 1913 (digital version, Project Runeberg)
7. Nordisk familjebok, vol. 20 Norrsken - Paprocki, pp. 301-302, Uggleupplagan 1914 (digital version, Project Runeberg)
8. The abbey was founded in 1438 in Masku, moved to Perniö in 1441 and finally to Naantali in 1443.
9. http://www.karmelfinland.org/ Karmel Finland
10. https://birgittalaissisaret.fi/ Turku Bridgettines' official website
11. https://www.kuolismaankettuset.fi/tiedostot/uusi_Kettusviesti_3._2014.pdf Kuolismaan Kettuset 3 (2014), Ensio Kettunen
12. https://www.kuolismaankettuset.fi/tiedostot/Kuolismaan_Kettuset_1_nettiversio.pdf Kuolismaan Kettuset 1 (2003), Ensio Kettunen
13. https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-6604893 Historia: Luostarit: Vanhauskoiset Yle uutiset Pohjois-Karjala 28 April 2013: Vuokon kylä on historiaa ja maaseutuestetiikkaa
14. http://www2.kuusamo.fi/historia/munkit.html Kuusamo.fi: Historia: Ortodoksiset Erakkomunkit Kuusamossa
15. https://valamo.fi/en Valamo.fi: official monastery website
16. https://lintulanluostari.fi/ Lintulanluostari.fi: official nunnery website
17. https://www.ortodoksi.net/index.php/Pokrovan_yhteis%C3%B6 Ortodoksi.net: Pokrovan yhteisö
18. https://www.luostariyhteiso.fi/ Enonkosken luostariyhteisö - community website