Puhtitsa Convent

About

Founded in 1891, the Puhtitsa Convent contains the largest Orthodox community in the Baltic states and continues to be the only functioning Russian Orthodox nunnery in Estonia. Visitors are drawn in by the colorful frescoes, green-capped roofs, churches and flowerbeds set amidst the green countryside between Lake Peipus and the Gulf of Finland. According to local folklore, a shepherd hailing from the Kuremäe village is believed to have had a divine vision near a spring of water. The spring was venerated and the convent was built around it, and you can still bathe in the refreshing waters today. Walk around and observe the convent life or order a tour from the nuns to enter the churches otherwise closed to the public. See the ancient icon of Dormition of the Mother of God which was found under a huge oak tree on site in the 16th century, now housed inside the Puhtitsa Convent.