Lev Kamenev was a landscape painter and one of the founders of the Wanderers Society, which at various times included Ivan Kramskoi, Ilya Repin, Arkhip Kuindzhi, Grigory Myasoedov and other artists. By organizing traveling art exhibitions, the artists introduced people who lived in different provinces to Russian art. In 50 years, the Society held 47 exhibitions. The Wanderers were supported by collector Pavel Tretyakov and art critic Vladimir Stasov.

Lev Kamenev was fond of drawing since childhood. Thanks to the help of Mikhail Korovin, a merchant of the 1st guild, for whom Kamenev worked, the young artist entered the Academy of Arts. He graduated with a gold medal, and then studied abroad for several years. Kamenev wrote from abroad to his friend Ivan Shishkin:

After 1869, after he had received the title of academician of painting, Kamenev lived in the Savvinsky Sloboda near Zvenigorod, often painted the surroundings of the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery located on the high Storozhi hill.

Artist Konstantin Korovin recalled:

Researchers suggest that Kamenev created the painting ‘Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery. Zvenigorod’ in the 1870s, when a lyrical element appeared in the image of nature in his works. The stretched foreground creates the effect of depth. The diagonal line of the river directs the viewer’s gaze into limitless distance. The middle horizon, absence of vertical lines, soft lines of the riverbank, bushes, slopes, which echo the onion domes of cathedrals, as well as the calm rhythm of clouds, — it all creates a uniform composition.

The restrained color scheme emphasizes the motif of peace and harmony. The work is dominated by muted tones, diffused light, soft brown-golden color palette. The only bright spot is the yellow ray of the setting sun near the churches.