the Kamenny Monastery did not develop as quickly as the two last-mentioned abbeys, because of the limited territory that the tiny and remote island could afford. In the 1540s, the monks constructed a church-belltower of curious architecture and a refectory, after which the monastery gradually declined to obscurity. It was remembered in Moscow primarily as a place of exile, where the famous Old Believer, Ivan Neronov, was deported. On 24 July 1774 one of the exiles set the monastery on fire, whereupon the monks were transferred for 26 years to Vologda. When they finally returned to the island in 1801, the cathedral was restored with five domes instead of one. The only post-medieval buildings on the island were an inn and two lighthouses, built for the needs of the monastery in the 1870s. Closure and destruction The Soviet government closed down the Kamenny Monastery in 1925 and had its brethren evacuated from the island. The buildings were adapted to house a penal colony for minor delinquents. This establishment proved a failure and by 1937 the island had been deserted. The regional administration profited from the situation to blow up the oldest building of the Russian North in order to obtain brick required for construction of the local "palace of culture", which eventually failed to materialise. The ruins of the cathedral are still in situ. , the only building marking the spot of the historic monastery is the church belltower from the 1540s, which is now being repaired by a team of enthusiasts from Vologda and Moscow. Restoration In October, 2017, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church officially decided to reopen Spaso-Kamenny Preobrazhensky monastery with Dionysius (Vozdvizhenskiy) as hegumen. Online references Kamenny Monastery Restoration Fund Kamenny Monastery and Dionisius ((ru icon)) (in English) https://www.supernewsworld.com/Russian-Skydivers-Restoring-An-Ancient-Island-Monastery-9566482.html References Russian Orthodox monasteries in Russia Buildings and structures in Vologda Oblast 1925 disestablishments in the Soviet Union Cultural heritage monuments of federal significance in Vologda Oblast