Valaam is a large, rocky, green-covered archipelago in Lake Ladoga. Its territory is occupied by one of the 2 Russian "monastic republics". The population of the archipelago is monks, foresters and fishermen.
In this article, we will dwell in more detail on what Balaam and the Valaam archipelago are.
General description of the archipelago
The Valaam archipelago is the main attraction of North Ladoga.
Formally, this territory is subordinate to the city of Sortavala (Republic of Karelia).
The total area is 36 square meters. km, coastal length - more than 150 km, the height of the islands reach up to 70 meters above sea level. Heavily indented bays (or skerries) of the coast are covered with trees (mostly coniferous), hayfields and fields.
There are more than 50 islands here (Crusader, Bayevy, Moscow, Nikonovsky, Skitsky, Baptist, Defense, Marvelous, Naked, Emelyanov, Granite, Rocky, Zosima, Rye, Oat, Onion, Nikolsky, etc.), including their more impressive sizes. Valaam stands out (an area of 28 sq. km). It has a village of the same name and the magnificent Valaam Transfiguration Monastery.
There are also hermitages on some islands: the Forerunner, Nikolsky and Svyatoostrovsky on the islands of the same name; Smolensky and All Saints on about. Skitsky; Avramia of Rostov (Emelyanov Island). Many islands are interconnected and with the largest Valaam bridges.
Where is the Valaam archipelago located?
The archipelago is located in the northern part of the great Lake Ladoga. Most often, the entire archipelago is called Valaam. The island is located 22 kilometers from the mainland.
This area is amazing and unique historically. Nature is also magnificent in these places: beautiful mossy rocks on the shores of Lake Ladoga, evergreen coniferous forests and majestic blue domes of the main Transfiguration Cathedral. This region attracts many tourists not only from Russia, but also from countries all over the world. The nature of the Valaam archipelago is amazing.
Briefly from the story
Settlement of the islands began to occur in the 10th century. Since the 12th century they belonged to Novgorod.
The main monastery, which served as a defensive fortress, has existed since the 14th century. The Swedes ravaged the islands in 1611, and the monastery was destroyed. It was restored only in 1715.
As part of Finland, the archipelago lasted from 1918 to 1940, from 1940 these lands belong to Russia.
The Valaam archipelago, in particular the Valaam Monastery, stood at the very origins of the birth of Orthodoxy throughout the world.
There is a legend that tells that Andrew the First-Called (apostle) with the preaching of the gospel reached the far north (Valaam Island), where he established a stone cross. And the founders of the monastic brotherhood are the reverends Herman and Sergius, monks who arrived on the lands of Ladoga in the 10th century from Greece.
It should be noted that Valaam was once one of the largest printing centers in Russia. The monastery suffered the most difficult times from the historical 1917.
In the 1950s, disabled war veterans, mentally retarded and tuberculosis patients were settled in the monastery and monastery buildings. In 1984, the House of Disabled People was closed, and in the 90s the monastery was assigned to the Russian Orthodox Church. Now it is a monument of world significance.
Valaam Island: attractions, features
The waterway to the island along Ladoga reveals the splendor of the local nature: soft waves of the lake, a breeze, numerous gulls, granite shores with pine groves. Here you can find a real spiritual refuge.
The entire Valaam archipelago is an amazing historical and natural attraction. For the most part, tourists come here as pilgrims or as part of tourist groups. There are independent travelers.
In Valaam, there are more than 200 permanent residents, most of them monks.
In addition to the monastery, there is also the village of Valaam and a small military base. For some reason, the relationship between monks and secular islanders is complex, as in Solovki. On the island, orders are established by church authorities.
In the cathedral there is an opportunity to hear the famous church Valaam singing, actively reviving recently.
The most impressive and oldest attraction is the monastery of A. Svirsky on about. Holy 8 kilometers from the monastery. Almost all the monasteries on the islands attract tourists with their diversity.
There are places for those interested in military history. In the south of. Balaam preserved the remains of the military facilities of the Mannerheim line.
Holidays on the Valaam archipelago - one of the most beautiful, calm and romantic.
The origin of the name of the island
Most likely, the name of the island comes from the Finno-Ugric language "Valamo", which means "high, mountainous land." And this corresponds to the appearance of the numerous islands of the archipelago.
Russian monks considered this name consonant with the name of one of the biblical prophets of Balaam.
Conclusion
For many centuries, when the monastery was the sole owner, the Valaam archipelago gradually turned into a large unified architectural and natural complex.
Throughout its history, chapels, churches, monasteries and various outbuildings were built here. Roads were laid, bridges between the islands were built, beautiful gardens were grown and trees planted.
Valaam is one of 4 “monastic republics” existing around the world (2 of them Meteora and Athos in Greece and 2 in Russia - Solovki and Valaam). But unlike Solovetsky, whose owner is a museum-reserve, on about. The Balaam monastic tradition has been revived almost completely.