et sky ▁Mon aster y ▁served ▁as ▁an ▁important ▁front ier ▁for tr ess ▁with ▁do z ens ▁of ▁can n ons ▁and ▁a ▁strong ▁g arrison . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁to ▁ 1 7 th ▁centuries , ▁the ▁monaster y ▁succeeded ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁times ▁in ▁rep elling ▁the ▁attacks ▁of ▁the ▁Liv onian ▁Order ▁and ▁the ▁Sw edes ▁( in ▁ 1 5 7 1 , ▁ 1 5 8 2 ▁and ▁ 1 6 1 1 ). ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Crime an ▁War , ▁the ▁Sol ov et sky ▁Mon aster y ▁was ▁attacked ▁by ▁three ▁British ▁ships . ▁After ▁nine ▁hours ▁of ▁shell ing ▁on ▁the ▁ 6 ▁and ▁ 7 ▁July ▁ 1 8 5 5 ▁the ▁vessels ▁left ▁with ▁nothing . ▁▁ ▁Between ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁and ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁centuries , ▁the ▁monaster y ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁place ▁of ▁ex ile ▁for ▁the ▁oppon ents ▁of ▁aut ocracy ▁and ▁official ▁Orth odox y ▁and ▁a ▁center ▁of ▁Christian ization ▁in ▁the ▁north ▁of ▁Russia . ▁The ▁monaster y ▁also ▁had ▁a ▁large ▁library ▁of ▁manuscript s ▁and ▁books . ▁ ▁The ▁monaster y ▁garden ▁also ▁had ▁some ▁ex otic ▁fl ora , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Tib et an ▁wild ▁ros es ▁presented ▁to ▁the ▁mon ks ▁by ▁Ag van ▁Dor zh iev , ▁a ▁L ama . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁B ols he vik ▁Revolution ▁and ▁Russian ▁Civil ▁War , ▁the ▁Soviet ▁authorities ▁closed ▁down ▁the ▁monaster y