Solovetsky Islands. Place of power. Solovetsky Island and its attractions. How to get to the Solovetsky Islands, what to see
My friend Tanya, with whom I have been friends since first grade, suggested that I go on vacation to the Solovetsky Islands. I knew only approximately where these islands were located - in the North. I also knew the expression “exile to Solovki.” This means “somewhere far away, and to a very unpleasant place.”
And suddenly, there - to the Solovetsky Islands - on vacation?!!
How can you miss such an adventure?! Of course, let's go!
Study of the Solovetsky Islands in theory and practice
Before the trip, we read about the Solovetsky Islands. An archipelago of six large and hundreds of small islands in the White Sea. All of them belong to the Far North and are included in the state historical and architectural museum-reserve. The relief of the islands is formed by a glacier. Despite the northern latitudes, the climate there is quite mild due to the influence of the sea. Winters are not very cold; But in the summer, northeast winds blow, often cloudy and foggy. The vegetation is sparse, bordering between the northern taiga and forest-tundra. The coastal strip has rich plantations of algae (kelp, fucus), which are used to make cosmetics.
Actually big island archipelago is the Solovetsky Monastery, founded in 1436. It also served as a military fortress, a place of exile and a prison. Since 1923, one of the most terrible camps was located there - SLON (Solovetsky Special Purpose Camp), in which tens of thousands of people died from hunger, cold and torture. But this is too heavy a topic, not for an article about amateur gardening, but rather about professional sadism.
We went to this dark place. It takes about three hours to sail to the Solovetsky Islands from the mainland by boat. The ship, designed for 300 seats, accommodated approximately 800 tourists and pilgrims, who sat and stood everywhere: on the decks, in the aisles, on the steps. I was thinking about Civil War and the evacuation of whites from Crimea. I was wondering how to survive in the White Sea if this vessel started to sink from overload... But it all worked out, we made it.
Walk along the coast
Right away, on the first evening, we went for a walk on the coast. The local vegetation turned out to be not only poor, but very strange. The plants in the forest were small and stunted, although familiar. A lot of .
On the shore there were “dancing” creatures, all bizarrely twisted. Guidebooks call them “dancing,” and disrespectful tourists call them “drunk.” Such curved trees are called crooked trees.
The cause of forests with twisted trees is unknown. There are such trees on the coast Baltic Sea. Everywhere, local residents note the bad energy of these places and bypass the crooked forests...
In the photo: “dancing” birch trees; kelp on the rocks at low tide
And it’s true, we were terrified on the shore. The sea was drowning in fog. The low tide exposed glacial boulders covered with algae (kelp, or fucus).
This phantasmagoric picture made us want to quickly run away to the hotel, which we did, rightly judging that the morning of the evening, if not wiser, was certainly more fun.
And the next morning we were rewarded: the sun came out. Previously, we were scared that rain and fog were guaranteed for the entire trip, although it was July. But we were lucky with the weather.
Big Solovetsky Island
We began to explore Bolshoi Solovetsky Island. A glacier passed through the entire archipelago, leaving behind boulders of all shapes and sizes that make up the typical landscape of the forest-tundra zone (see title photo).
Stones are an essential element or which are now present in many gardens. Which gardener hasn’t worked hard while dragging a spectacular cobblestone they’ve found to their favorite dacha? Orphan boulders have become a rarity in the Moscow region.
That is why a walk along the Solovetsky Islands with abundance is torment for fanatical summer residents with a rock garden (like my friend and I). As they say, “the eye sees, but the tooth numbs.” Do not take with you from here at least some of the riches you see, do not decorate your alpine hill with them...
Monastery walls, buildings, and dams are made of huge boulders. But they were built in the 16th century! It’s incomprehensible how the monks could move giant blocks, and even lift them to the height of the monastery walls!
The forest on the Solovetsky Islands is full of picturesque glacial lakes and swamps with smooth round banks - just models for a landscape architect.
On the picture: glacial lake; labyrinth on Zayatsky Island
Bolshoi Zayatsky Island
The next day we took a boat to Bolshoi Zayatsky Island. Hares have nothing to do with him. Some say that the White Sea seals were called “sea hares” (although, in my opinion, there is not the slightest similarity between them). Others believe that the monks sailed to this island for eider eggs (“for the eggs”).
Zayatsky Island, like the entire Solovetsky archipelago, is included in the list World Heritage UNESCO. Nobody lives on it; no one should even set foot on its soil, since the relict vegetation of the island can be damaged. There are wooden decks along the hiking trail around Zayatsky Island, and it is strictly forbidden to step off them onto the ground.
There are no trees there, only low bushes and thickets of crow grass grow. Crow berries are non-poisonous, but watery and tasteless.
But the main thing on Zayatsky Island is not the vegetation, but the labyrinths. These ancient religious buildings made of stones date back to the 1st-2nd centuries. BC. They are associated with the cult of the dead and are spiral stone ridges leading to the center of the labyrinth. In the center there is a pile of stones, apparently symbolizing the mountain in the depths of which the Kingdom of the Dead was located.
Each labyrinth has one entrance (also known as an exit). Having entered the labyrinth and following the hollow between the ridges, a person reaches the center of the labyrinth, goes further along the spiral and, without turning anywhere, comes to the exit. According to scientists, primitive people believed that from such a labyrinth the soul of the deceased could not get back to the Kingdom of the living. It is interesting that the tops of the ridges of the labyrinths are overgrown with crowberry, but the hollows between them remain rocky, untouched by vegetation. Although no human has set foot in them for many centuries; and, moreover, no one weeded them.
Not far from the labyrinths lie piles of stones, under which ancient burials with utensils, stone artifacts and human bones were found.
It would be possible to tell a lot about the history of Zayatsky Island. About Peter I, who built a small church of St. Andrew the First-Called on the island. About the monks who built economic chambers here. But our topic is native plants.
Botanical Garden
When we were offered to go on an excursion to the Botanical Garden, we were very surprised. It’s hard to imagine the existence of a botanical garden much north of Arkhangelsk, not far from the Arctic Circle!
Of course, we went to the Botanical Garden. They went, not drove. There is no public transport on the islands, and there are few commercial vehicles. Due to belonging to the UNESCO Monuments, they plan to completely abandon diesel fuel and switch to environmentally friendly energy sources. Therefore, it was strange to see solar panels near the church on top of Sekirnaya Mountain, the center of the most terrible Solovki camp.
Even the roads on the Solovetsky Islands are not paved, but dirt, sometimes sprinkled with gravel. We walked along this road for about four kilometers - from the center of the island to the so-called Gorka Farm or Makarievo Hermitage, where the Botanical Garden is located.
The hermitage was founded by Archimandrite Macarius in 1822 so that the monks could retire for prayer. But then a wax factory was built here, the hot water from which was used to heat greenhouses and conservatories. Cucumbers, melons, and peaches were grown in greenhouses.
By the end of the 19th century, a Botanical Garden was established here, in which yellow acacia and other plants settled.
The central larch alley leads to the hill, to the dacha of Archimandrite Macarius. The country house was built in the 60s of the 19th century from larch, which almost does not rot.
The archimandrite's dacha is very modest, simple and light, in exceptionally good taste. It forms a single whole with the surrounding nature and compares favorably with the modern luxurious mansions of church hierarchs.
In the photo: larch alley; bergenia thickets; archimandrite's dacha
The alley leading to the archimandrite's dacha is abundantly overgrown with bergenia, planted in the 19th century. Since then it has grown a lot. And larches were planted later (in the 30s of the 20th century) by camp prisoners: after all, at that time, camp authorities lived on the territory of the Makarievo Hermitage, who wanted to decorate their lives with these majestic trees.
Further in the Botanical Garden we saw the usual ornamental plants and flowers that grow beautifully in our dachas in the Moscow region, but we never expected to see them in these harsh regions. And how they grow here! The cheerful woman flaunts against the backdrop of an ancient glacier cellar made of huge boulders. They are blooming, tiger ones - everything is so dear and familiar!
In the photo: flower garden in the botanical garden; cedars planted by monks; fragrant raspberry
Our guide decided to examine our group and at the same time fill in the gaps in our botanical knowledge. But he underestimated us! To his question: “Do you know what kind of plants these are?”, Tatyana and I, like school cram students, vying with each other, shouted: “!”, “!”, “Thuja occidentalis!”. And only once did we doubt it, not immediately recognizing a spreading plant with huge leaves on very long petioles. It turned out that it was a regular one.
And then we looked at the apothecary’s garden with medicinal herbs: St. John’s wort, tarragon, . Again everything is so dear and familiar...
To the website
|
|
Weekly Free Site Digest website
Every week, for 10 years, for our 100,000 subscribers, an excellent selection of relevant materials about flowers and gardens, as well as other useful information.
Subscribe and receive!
You've definitely heard their name and held their image in your hands. We are talking about Solovki, islands with a colorful history and unique nature. They seem close and familiar to us, but we cannot even say exactly where the word “Solovki” itself came from.
Geography
1. Solovki are fairly young islands. They appeared after glaciation retreated 12 thousand years ago. The glaciers left, but the stones, sand and soil they brought remained.
2. There are no rivers and almost no springs on Solovki. All fresh water found in numerous relict lakes. There are more than 600 of them in the archipelago.
3. Approximately 1/8 of the territory of Solovki is occupied by a real swamp.
4. Solovetsky Islands - the largest archipelago White Sea. Its area is 347 km², which is larger than the territory of the Maldives.
5. Of the 50 stone labyrinths found in Russia, 35 are located on the territory of the Solovetsky Islands. Their age is more than 2000 years. Academician N.N. Vinogradov suggested that the labyrinths or, as the locals call them, “Babylons” are associated with the cult of the dead. The soul locked in the center of the labyrinth can no longer get out.
6. Stone labyrinths on Bolshoi Solovetsky Island, not far from the monastery, were laid out already in the 20th century for tourists. The most ancient and well-preserved labyrinths are located on Zayatsky Island.
Biology
1. Solovetsky gulls are a symbol of the islands. These birds live throughout the entire archipelago and are considered the harbingers of spring in the Solovetsky monastery.
2. More than 30 species of mosquitoes live on the Solovetsky Islands. They are quite sociable and love tourists, especially those who neglect to wear long sleeves and repellents.
3. There are kelp plantations on Solovki. Local residents use these algae for food, as well as dry them, make cosmetics and medicinal preparations for sale.
4. Solovki is famous for its “dancing” birches. If you look at such a tree at sunset, it may seem that these are silhouettes of dancing people. In fact, thin northern birches grown in constant wind take on such bizarre shapes.
5. Despite the small territory, animal world Solovkov is diverse. A huge number of birds live here (more than 200 species), and among the animals you can find foxes, squirrels, hares and even reindeer.
History and Monastery
1. The first traces of humans on Solovki date back to the 3rd millennium BC.
2. The first monks settled on Solovki in 1429. These were the Monks Herman and Savvaty, they erected a cross and a cell approximately 13 km from the future monastery. Gradually, after the death of Savvaty, other monks began to arrive on the island
3. Solovetsky Monastery was founded in 1436. It was one of the richest and most powerful monasteries; by the 17th century there were about 350 monks, 600-700 novices and peasants in the monastery.
4. The walls of the monastery are made of huge boulders, some of them are more than two meters in diameter. The thickness of the monastery walls can reach 6 meters.
5. It is still not clear who actually built the Solovetsky Kremlin. The weight of some of the stones that make up the walls reaches 8 tons, and the lichen covering the boulders dates back 2-3 thousand years. There is a version expressed by V.A. Lekomtsev that the fortress existed on the island long before the arrival of the monks, who only completed and strengthened the centuries-old buildings.
6. In the 16th century, monks dug many canals, connecting the Solovetsky Lakes into a single system. The large and small circles of the lake-canal system have survived to this day and are used for boat trips. To travel around the great circle you need at least 10 hours.
7. Under the Solovetsky Monastery there is a system of underground passages 1.5 kilometers long. It was used to provide the monastery with water, but if desired, it could be used as a back door behind the walls of the fortress.
8. The Solovetsky Monastery was besieged several times. The longest siege began in 1669 and lasted for 8 years. It was caused by the refusal of the monks to conduct services according to the new model introduced by Patriarch Nikon. This siege went down in history as the Solovetsky seat.
9. The Solovetsky sitting could have lasted longer - the monastery was well protected and had large supplies of food. But in 1676, one of the defectors helped the Streltsy army penetrate the territory of the monastery and open the gates. Of the 500 defenders, only 14 remained alive.
10. On Bolshoi Solovetsky Island there is a dry dock built back in 1801. He was one of the first in Russia.
11. There is a botanical garden on the territory of the Solovetsky Islands. It was founded in 1822. To provide plants with water, pipes made of baked clay were laid underground.
12. In the 19th – early 20th centuries, melons, watermelons and peaches grew in the Solovetsky Botanical Garden. These southern plants were grown in greenhouses, the heat from which was supplied through pipes from a wax plant.
13. In 1854, as part of the Crimean War, the English fleet entered the White Sea and headed to Solovki. Having received a refusal from the monks to surrender the fortress, the frigates "Brisk" and "Miranda" fired at the monastery with cannons. 120 new English cannons fired at the monastery for 9 hours. Heavy fire pierced one of the icons, killed a seagull and scared away the local residents. The monastery itself remained intact.
14. The Solovetsky Monastery had its own hydroelectric power station. It was installed on the canal between the Holy Lake and the Dry Dock in 1911 and provided the island with electricity for a long time until it was destroyed during Brezhnev’s rule.
15. Before the revolution, the Solovetsky Monastery acquired several ships to transport pilgrims to the island. The ships were called “Vera” (began sailing in 1862) and “Nadezhda” (launched in 1863) and could carry up to 500 passengers per voyage. Later, the monastery acquired two more ships: the steamer “Solovetsky” and “Mikhail the Archangel”.
16. The roads on Solovki were paved by monks in the 16th century. Since then, the masonry has been renewed only a couple of times, the last time during the Gulag. For comparison, the asphalt road in the village next to the monastery lasted 2 years.
17. Bolshoi Solovetsky Island and Bolshaya Muksalma Island are connected by a dam. It was laid in 1827, the length of the dam is 1200 meters. The second dam was only 300 meters long and connected the islands of Bolshaya and Malaya Muksalma. Unfortunately, over time the structure collapsed and went under water.
Solovki as a prison
2. In the XVI - 19th centuries There was also a prison on the territory of the Solovetsky Monastery. She was considered especially reliable because of her location. Mostly political prisoners were exiled to Solovki.
3. In 1923, people began to be systematically exiled to Solovki. On November 2, SLON is established - Solovetsky Special Purpose Camp.
4. Among the especially famous prisoners of SLON and the GULAG were Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Dmitry Sergeevich Likhachev, ethnographer Nikolai Nikolaevich Vinogradov, Hieromartyr Hilarion (Troitsky), Ivan Nikiforovich Lysenko (in the future - senior intelligence sergeant, hero of the Soviet Union).
5. On Solovki there was Railway. It was built in 1923 for quick access to the Filimonovsky peat mines. Despite the closure of the narrow-gauge railway in 1932, some sections of it have survived to this day.
Pilgrimage and Solovki
1. More than 20,000 tourists visit Solovki every year. Most of them are pilgrims.
2. The Solovetsky Monastery houses Orthodox relics, which thousands of pilgrims come to venerate every year. Among them: the white stone cross of Savvaty Solovetsky, the Bogolyubskaya icon Holy Mother of God, with the upcoming saints Zosima and Savvaty and the brethren of the monastery, the phelonion of St. Zosima, part of the wooden shrine of St. Savvaty and many other relics.
3. In pre-revolutionary times, monks lived on Solovki not only in the monastery. There were many hermitages scattered throughout the island, where hermits settled. Such monks were called “hermits of Solovetsky”, among them were Elder Ephraim the Black, Alexy Kaluzhanin, Tikhon Moskvitin, Joseph I, Joseph II the Young, Theodul Ryazanets, Tryphon, Sebastian, and the monk Porfiry. Today these hermits are revered as Solovetsky saints.
4. Pilgrims are drawn to Solovki not only by the walls of the ancient monastery and icons, but also by numerous legends about the miracles of the Solovetsky saints. For example, there is a known case when the Monk Irinarch, the deceased abbot of the monastery, appeared to the laity to protect them from death in the ice.
5. On August 21, the transfer of the relics of the Monks Zosima, Savvaty and Herman, the Solovetsky wonderworkers, is celebrated on Solovki. Their tomb was damaged during a severe fire in 1694, but the bodies of the saints were not damaged. In the same year, Solovki was visited by Peter I, who made a generous contribution to the restoration of the tomb of the saints.
For tourists
1. The origin of the name “Solovki” still causes fierce debate. Works on the toponymy of the White Sea indicate the origin of the name “Solovki” from the Finnish word “suol” - “island”. English travelers of the 16th century. T. Southam and J. Spark call Solovetsky Island “Abdon”. Historians believe that this is either a distortion of the word “aidoni” - nightingale, or “abdon” - remote, hidden. There is another version according to which the Solovetsky Islands are called that because they fished and co-fished together here.
2. Directors love Solovki for the color and beauty of northern nature. Films such as “The Island” by Pavel Lungin or “The Schism” by Nikolai Dostal were filmed here.
3. You can ride around Solovki by car. But not quickly - the cobblestone pavement in the village and the lack of a normal road outside it can break the suspension of almost any car. Therefore, the most popular transport on Solovki are SUVs, bicycles and all-terrain vehicles, from factory-made to home-made.
4. On Solovki there is Maritime Museum, in the dock of which, since 2003, work has been carried out on the reconstruction of the famous sovereign yacht “St. Peter”. In the summer of 2015, the yacht was launched.
5. There are two ways to get to Solovki: by sea and by air. There is an airport on the territory of the Big Solovetsky Island; it receives three flights from Arkhangelsk a week. Sea communication with the islands is regular, there are even flights from Moscow.
6. Of the thirty lighthouses located in Onega Bay, only four are functioning. One of them is Solovetsky, located on Sekirnaya Mountain. This is not just a lighthouse, but a bell tower lighthouse built on top of the Ascension Church. The temple was erected in 1862.
7. Solovki are depicted on the 500-ruble banknote. Initially, until 2010, the banknotes depicted the monastery from the side of the Holy Lake and a small ship that sailed along it. In 2011, the bill was changed, the ship was removed and the angle was slightly shifted, based on modern look monastery
8. At Cape Beluzhy you can watch games, oddly enough, of beluga whales. The smallest (only 3 meters long) species of beluga whale, the White Sea whale, lives near Solovki. IN summer season the animals come quite close to the shore, where they can be seen and photographed without much difficulty. Another thing is that getting to the cape is not easy - the road is very swampy, part of it runs along a muddy beach that floods at high tide. But enterprising locals can take you to the place on their all-terrain vehicle, not for free, of course, but they will brighten up the road with a story about the habits of beluga whales.
The old creaky vessel "Vasily Kosyakov", following the route Rabocheostrovsk - Bolshoi Solovetsky Island, is filled with pilgrims and tourists. They go to rest, pray and see what the proximity of an ancient monastery and a special-purpose concentration camp on a small patch of land has led to. The weather is great. The sky, light and low, presses its belly close to the sea itself. Here and there there are thunderclouds and dark columns of rain above the water, but these bad weather conditions are far away. Being in a cruise mood, the Kosyakov passengers enthusiastically fed the seagulls bread, photographed each other against the backdrop of a blue-white landscape and distant brown weather. Suddenly, due to the morning haze, the domes of the Solovetsky Monastery will appear above the water. As in that fairy tale, a rusty boat, stumbling over small waves, creeps ever closer to the shore of a strange kingdom. A little more and you will find yourself in Through the Looking Glass.
The island really turns out to be a small kingdom. It has its own life and its own rules. The dilapidated huts, built during the time of the first Soviet dictators, are groaning with age. There are quiet people all around: fishermen, artists, pilgrims. Arkhangelsk teenagers exiled here to summer holidays, wander aimlessly through back streets with music speakers and beer cans. A little girl in a scarf and a calico skirt with a small flower on her open palm hands a green apple to a young timid bull. Along the roads there are silly street trash cans in the shape of pink tulips. It smells like fresh bread from the monastery bakery. Half-empty shops sell fermented Karelian kefir. Everything is calm and static. Only at the walls of the monastery is there a revival. Crowds of tourists are rushing to finish their sausage sandwiches before the excursion. The believers who arrived at the morning “Shovel” fanatically cross themselves. The priests and sisters, returning to the monastery from lunch, are laughing about something.
Father, we are going to Sochi soon, what should we take with us to have a righteous rest? - raising a column of dust on the road, a flock of fussy pilgrims with faded eyes and dusty skirts surrounded the captured priest, slightly frightened either by the crowd or by the question asked. It was a calm, sunny evening in the short northern summer. On Seldyany Cape, cats dozed in the grass, cows lazily brushed aside midges, sometimes jingling the bells on their necks, like a teaspoon around the edges of a mug. The road dust, golden in the sun, smoothly settled to the ground, onto the faces and hems of the pilgrims, faded with time. Father was a little slow to answer.
– You shouldn’t take the Bible to Sochi. She's too heavy. Take sun protective cream. And swimsuits - to swim in the sea - the man in the cassock answered with a shrug and carefully walked out of the circle of unblinking eyes.
For a long time, the pilgrims left by the priest on the road discussed whether it was worth traveling such a distance to receive such a vague answer to the question of faith...
Everything on this island is ambiguous. Holy Lake behind the collar of the Solovetsky Monastery is a must-visit place for both pilgrims and tourists. Having lifted their long skirts, pilgrims, groaning and sometimes swearing, walk into the lake up to their knees and do not move until the icy water cramps their sore legs. Not every bather knows that in the past state this very Holy Lake was called Red. But now it is Holy again. The Solovetsky Monastery itself was not always an abode of humility and light, periodically imprisoning within its walls persons disliked by the mainland and staging naval skirmishes with lost ships.
On the execution field of the Solovetsky special purpose camp today, children are kicking a ball. In the barracks, where several decades ago they crushed lice at night, died from hunger, cold and dirt, now housewives watch crime chronicles on TV, boiling pasta in old enamel pans. The destroyed labyrinths of the ancient northern tribes have been laid out again and now they are wondering where these same labyrinths lead. The day before yesterday churches were erected here, yesterday prisons were built, today hotels and tourist centers are being set up. And tomorrow winter will happen, and everyone will leave. Nobody knows what will happen after winter.
There is no maternity hospital or proper hospital on the island: to this day, any illness is treated with holy water, and for help they go to the monastery to see the mothers. But even holy water sometimes doesn’t help. Last winter, one islander’s heart began to go bad. A little over thirty, hard-working, single. I fell ill at home and could not get up. The neighbors ran after mother. There is nowhere to expect more help in the winter Solovki. The old woman refused to go to the patient in the dark. He needs it, let him go himself. Tea, not old. – was a short and clear answer.
There was nothing to do, the islander gathered his last strength, put on his hat and left the hut. Only he couldn’t get to his mother - he died on the way. When mother was told that her patient had died halfway to her, she only turned her face to the side. All the will of God! – she muttered with dry old woman lips, quickly crossed herself and slammed the door of her room. Only the holy water on the shelves shook from that cotton.
Solovki is the Russian Alcatraz and Mar Saba on one small piece of land, soaked in gunpowder, ash, blood and northern salts. The island where robes and robes were worn. This point in the White Sea lies on the way to both hell and heaven. Time here draws with a simple pencil and plays unkind games with people: it either forgets to move forward, or in seconds turns the lives of the islanders upside down. One moment he will pick up a broom and sweep the Solovetsky inhabitants to hell, and a moment later he will drive vessels with new people across the rough sea to wear out their robes and robes, to live out the lives of those who have already been erased. Sometimes the clock hands on Solovki suddenly change direction, turn from the dial circle straight into the ornate paths of the dancing forest, and then strange events begin to happen on the island: they change robes for robes, crosses for axes, cross themselves with their right hand, and pull the trigger of a pistol with their left. A leapfrog of good and evil, beautiful and ugly. Leapfrog taken to the point of absurdity.
Solovki is a mecca of either God or the devil. However, they always go hand in hand. Here, on this small cold island, as nowhere else, it becomes clear that life and death, good and evil, prayer and swearing are one. Just like there is one White Sea, which easily changes colors from milky to slate. How is Lake Holy. And there is Lake Krasnoe. And they contain the same water. Just as there is time, which in the Looking Glass does not walk in straight lines and does not draw circles with arrows. It plays cat and mouse with the islanders, occasionally allowing them to play with itself.
Solovki is a distorted reflection of the mainland. And there is no reflection if no one looks in the mirror. The islands will live on what the wind brings big land. Time here flows at the speed of the wind. Intermittently. Impetuously. Therefore, in good weather and in the absence of news there is no time at all on the island. A tired fisherman will freeze on Cape Seldyan, the top of his head will be bathed in thick honeyed light by the evening sun, and the clock hands will be forgotten again. Cats will be dozing in the grass. A little girl in a headscarf will wipe an apple on her calico skirt and treat it to a young timid bull. On the shore, near the silent labyrinths, tourists will click their beaks and camera shutters.
Getting from the island to the mainland is not so easy. The anthracite sky presses its belly on the sea so that it feels cramped in its cup. It sways and hisses. The little old “Kosyakov” groans and groans on it. It’s impossible to stand in the passenger compartment and difficult to sit in – there’s so much rocking there. Someone's suitcases and baby strollers are rolling from side to side. Someone cries with fear, someone takes a puff of Kalinka, and a moment later the others support him. Below they sing songs, and on the upper deck they suffer from seasickness, clinging to the handrails until their blue bones, waddling over them. While they are sick, the waves fall on them from above and drown them from below. They are trembling, choking on sea water, praying for time to go a little faster and trying to discern the saving Rabocheostrovsk in the pitch-black weather. Only a few seagulls, out of habit, follow “Kosyakov” in the hope of a generous treat, like that time.
In order not to hear the songs below and not see those suffering above, you will hide under a canopy on the deck and begin to count to one hundred. But you won’t be able to get past fifty. One, two, three, and what if “Shoals” cracks to hell... And again you start counting from one. All my clothes are soaking wet, water is squelching in my boots, my knees are shaking and my teeth are chattering from the cold. A young guy with a nose burned in strange places will run under your visor and start a conversation to speed up the passage of time at least a little.
Will you ever go to Solovki again?
I don’t know if I should get to the mainland first...
And I'll go. In winter. I'll definitely go. - a random fellow traveler will shout through the wind and, holding on to the cold handrails, will look at the sea waves for a long time, calmly waiting for the mainland to appear from behind the black waves of the White Sea.
Basic moments
The Solovetsky Islands and the adjacent water area have the status of a specially protected area and a museum-reserve, the spiritual center of the islands is the Solovetsky stauropegial monastery– included in the lists of the World cultural heritage UNESCO. Every year, tens of thousands of tourists and pilgrims come to these holy places to get acquainted with their dramatic history, see the stronghold of Orthodoxy in the Far North of Russia, and enjoy the untouched nature, harsh and peaceful at the same time.
The most significant historical, architectural and spiritual monuments of Solovki are located on Bolshoi Solovetsky Island. The main religious buildings, deserts and hermitages are concentrated here. Some other monastic shrines are located on neighboring islands.
Everything on Solovki amazes with its solidity and inviolability: the grandiose stone walls of the Kremlin, roads and a dam on a boulder foundation, which have not seen repairs for hundreds of years, but still serve the people. The dozens of kilometers of man-made canals connecting hundreds of divinely beautiful lakes and endless meadows created by hard-working monks are amazing. Everything here breathes harmony, combining the beauty of nature and the fruits of human labor.
For your guests Solovetsky Museum-Reserve has developed more than 20 excursion routes: bus, boat, walking, and each of them will bring you unforgettable experience!
Solovetsky Monastery
History of the Solovetsky Islands
Human development of the Solovetsky Islands began in Neolithic times, when the aboriginal inhabitants of Pomerania appeared here - the proto-Sami, who hunted sea animals and fished. It is known that in the II-I centuries BC. e. The proto-Sami buried their dead on the islands, erecting mounds over their graves - mounds of boulder stone, which over time formed entire labyrinths. Both names of the archipelago - Solovetsky Islands and Solovki - have Sami roots: in Sami “suollek” means “islands”. Probably, in these places the Sami performed pagan rituals until the Middle Ages.
Since the 11th century, sailing and rowing ships of the Novgorod ushkuiniks - paramilitary squads who were also engaged in commercial fishing - began to appear more and more often in the waters of the White Sea. Following them, monks began to develop these regions, settling in hermitages in complete renunciation from the world. In 1429, the monks Savvaty and German arrived on Bolshoi Solovetsky Island. Here, 13 km from the place where the monastery was later built, they erected a cross and equipped a cell. Soon they were joined by Zosima, a native of Pomerania, who distributed his property to the poor and decided to renounce worldly vanities. The foundation of the Solovetsky Monastery in 1436, which over time became one of the most revered in Russia, is associated with the names of Savvaty, German, Zosima.
From the middle of the 15th century, its first permanent residents began to settle on the archipelago - monks and novices of the monastery. Gradually they organized a strong religious and economic community here. In 1548, the monastery monk Philip became the abbot of the monastery. This abbot, a descendant of the boyar family of the Kolychevs, proved himself to be an extraordinary leader. Under him, instead of wooden religious buildings, they began to build stone ones on Solovki, erected outbuildings, laid roads, connected lakes with canals, created their own fleet, and trade also developed. Near the monastery itself, ponds and cages were built where fish were bred, and on the island of Bolshaya Muksalma, spacious pastures were laid out and a cattle yard was located.
In the second half of the 16th century, during the Livonian War, the Swedes, concerned about the activity of Solovetsky merchant shipping, more than once sent their warships to the island waters. In response, by decree of Ivan the Terrible, to protect the White Sea region, a fortress was erected on Bolshoi Solovetsky Island, where a garrison headed by a governor was stationed.
In the 17th century, tragic events took place on Solovki. The monastic brethren, who rejected the church reforms of Moscow Patriarch Nikon, rebelled and resisted the tsarist army. The uprising was brutally suppressed by the governor Ivan Meshcherinov.
In 1854, during the Crimean War, the Solovetsky Monastery was subjected to prolonged bombardment from the cannons of English frigates. However, the attack resulted in only light damage to individual structures; there were no casualties. Such a miracle confirmed the authority of the monastery among believers.
In the middle of the 19th century, Russian hydrologists and biologists seriously began research in the White Sea region. The first scientific expedition to the Solovetsky Islands was sent in 1876, and in 1881 a biological station, the first on the White Sea, was established on Bolshoi Solovetsky Island. In 1912, a hydroelectric power station was built on a gravity canal near the Holy Lake, one of the first in Russia.
The measured and creative life of the pious islanders was destroyed by the 1917 revolution. The new government liked the strong monastery walls, behind which in the 1920s they built a prison at no extra cost. Even before the advent of the Bolsheviks, criminals and heretics were kept in the monastery premises. But, if over the previous four centuries a little more than three hundred prisoners were imprisoned here, then only in a couple of decades in the dungeons of SLON (Solovetsky camp Special purpose), and later a correctional facility subordinate to the Gulag, there were about hundreds of thousands of people. In 1941, the penitentiary structure on the Solovetsky Islands was disbanded.
In the 50s of the last century, Solovki became accessible to visitors, and information about the plight of ancient buildings received a public outcry. In the next decade, restoration work began here, and in 1967 the Solovetsky Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve began its activities. In 1989, a religious community was registered on Solovki, and a year later – for the first time after the “camp” era on Bolshoi Solovetsky Island – priests celebrated the Divine Liturgy. The day of the revival of the Solovetsky Monastery is considered to be October 25, 1990.
Lighthouse on Top Island
Nature
The landscape of the Solovetsky Islands was determined by an ancient glacier that “ironed” their surface about 13 thousand years ago. After the thick ice cover melted, its traces remained on the islands - huge boulders of crystalline rocks, brought from afar by moving ice retreating to the north. Boulders line up in ridges, they are called moraines. The sandy cover of the Solovetsky Islands is also of glacial origin. These are crystalline rocks worn down by the mighty force of the glacier. On Solovki there are many deposits of semi-precious and ornamental minerals brought here - translucent muscovite quartz, red garnets, pyroxene, green jadeite, reminiscent of precious jade.
The relief outlines of the Solovetsky Islands are changeable and abound in gentle descents and ascents; there are no impressive elevations here. The highest point of the archipelago is Mount Golgotha, located on the island of Anzer. Its height is 200 meters.
The line of the gentle shores of the Solovetsky Islands, in places covered with sparse grass, completely dotted with bizarrely shaped boulders, is clearly outlined by forest, in some places approaching almost the water itself, and in others retreating from it a couple of hundred meters. The ebb and flow of the tides change the landscape. Twice a day, sea waters rapidly approach the island shores and freeze only at the edge of the forest, bringing with them algae, which then outline the coastline in a continuous strip. Low tides, in turn, expose a sandy shore with rocks and orange-red boulders scattered across it.
Most of the Solovetsky Islands are occupied by forests, pine and deciduous, birch groves. In the thicket there is a lot of windfall, tree trunks that have lain on the ground for many years are almost completely covered with thickets of blueberries, lingonberries, blueberries, and crowberries. By the end of summer, the bushes are colored with ripe berries, the forest clearings flash with the crimson colors of fireweed inflorescences and are filled with the delicate aroma of lungwort. Another decoration of the Solovetsky forests is heather. When it blooms, it covers the ground with a continuous carpet of tiny purple flowers, creating a delightful harmony with the rich green colors of the forest. In autumn, the Solovetsky forests turn into a mushroom kingdom.
There are no rivers on Solovki, but the local lakes, glorified in folk legends and described more than once in Russian literature, are simply stunning with their beauty. It seems that the mirror ponds are spread out chaotically on the islands - sometimes in compact groups, sometimes stretched out in a chain, and sometimes scattered. However, in this picturesque chaos there is a certain system built by nature itself. The shape of reservoirs is also varied. Some lakes are perfectly round, others are elliptical, and others are curved in the shape of a horseshoe. Many of them are unnamed, while the names of others have changed repeatedly over the centuries.
It is not known exactly how many lakes there are on the Solovetsky Islands. According to some sources, there are 492 reservoirs, while other sources speak of 562 lakes. Perhaps the reason for this is the blooming of some reservoirs, at a later stage of which they turn into swamps. The swamps themselves occupy a considerable part of Solovki (the exception is the Zayatsky Islands, where they do not exist).
A significant part of the territory of the Solovetsky Islands is meadows, mostly man-made. The quality of the herbs here is first-class, in some places they reach the height of a man.
The fauna of Solovki is not very diverse, but this is compensated by the large number of animals. In the forests you can find reindeer, foxes, squirrels, and hares. There are no large predators here, but local mosquitoes are rightfully nicknamed bloodthirsty ghouls by the islanders. The coastal sea waters are inhabited by seals, beluga whales, bearded seals, harp seals, and herring; the lakes are inhabited by perches, pikes, burbots, and roaches. The world of birds is rich, since the migration route of migratory birds runs through Onega Bay and the Solovetsky Islands.
Climate
The proximity of the Arctic Circle and the breath of the Arctic, of course, leaves an imprint on the local climate. However climatic conditions The Solovetsky Islands are different from the mainland coast of the White Sea and stand out for their unexpected softness.
The microclimate on Solovki is characterized by some delay in the change of seasons. July-August are the summer months. The period from September 1 to September 20 is considered late summer. Then autumn begins, which lasts until the end of October, when frosts arrive. Winter reigns here for four months. The coldest month is February, but there are years when March temperatures are lower than February.
Quite mild winters on the Solovetsky Islands are due to the fact that the sea, gradually cooling, gives off heat to the land. Until the end of January, the average air temperature rarely drops below 10 °C below zero. In February, when the warming influence of the sea is leveled out, it becomes colder. The average temperature this month is about –12 °C. There are also 30-degree frosts on Solovki, but this does not happen often.
In winter, the Solovetsky Islands are surrounded for several kilometers by a continuous strip of motionless ice. It completely melts only at the end of March, so spring here is always colder than autumn. In April-May, the icy sea intensively transfers cold to the land; daytime temperatures rarely exceed +12 °C.
Summer on Solovki cannot be called hot. The thermometer here fluctuates around +20...+23 °C during the day and never rises above +27 °C; at night it is always cool. During the summer months, precipitation is rare. The weather is clear, only sometimes in the evening there may be pinkish clouds, which, however, do not stay in the sky for long. In the summer months, sea water off the Solovetsky coast warms up, and in July-August its temperature can reach +18...+20 °C.
In June, the sun almost never sets over Solovki. The longest day here lasts 21 hours 56 minutes - exactly the same as the longest night, six months later, in December.
Big Solovetsky Island
Bolshoy Solovetsky Island, which resembles a triangle in its outline, is the largest island in the White Sea. Its capriciously cut coastline creates picturesque capes, bays, peninsulas. The distance between the extreme northern and southern points of the island is 24.7 km, the west-east line is 15.8 km. The central part of the island is replete with hills and heights, which are called mountains here, although their height does not exceed 60 m. This ridge is interspersed with a dense network of lakes. The highest point of the Big Solovetsky Island is Mount Sekirnaya (73.5 m). At its top is the Ascension monastery of the Solovetsky Monastery, founded almost two centuries ago. The southern region is a depression, most of which is occupied by peat bogs and semi-overgrown lakes. Encircling the island, a forest stretches along the entire perimeter of the coast. The northern and eastern shores are the realm of luxury pine forests protected by a powerful wall central areas islands from the winds. Deciduous forest grows on the southern coast.
On a narrow strip of land between the Holy Lake and Blagopoluchiya Bay, open to the sea and cutting almost 2 km deep into the island, is the Solovetsky Kremlin - the core of the Solovetsky Monastery. Thousands of pilgrims and tourists begin their acquaintance with Solovki with its visit. Not far from the architectural and historical complex is the administrative center of the archipelago - the village of Solovetsky. Here ordinary worldly life flows. The village has shops, a post office, a bank, a small airport, and a plant for the production of canned seaweed.
The slender silhouettes of ancient buildings, gradually emerging as you approach the island, amaze with their grandeur. From the east, the Holy Lake is closely adjacent to the ancient walls, which is an integral part of the magnificent architectural composition. It’s hard to believe that the fortification walls, made of huge stone blocks, are the result of human labor, and the Holy Lake is a pit formed during work to connect the Solovetsky lakes into a single hydraulic system.
The appearance of the Solovetsky Kremlin combines the architectural traditions of Russian military defense architecture and the architectural features inherent in Scandinavian fortifications. The unique appearance of the Kremlin is given by its towers protruding beyond the line of the walls, each of which has its own name and special history. Construction of the fortification lasted 11 years and was mostly completed by 1594.
The main entrance to the monastery property is called the Holy Gate. They are located in the western part of the fortress wall and represent a wide arched span. The territory of the architectural complex is conventionally divided into zones. In the center there is a cathedral complex surrounded by residential and utility buildings, in the south there is a courtyard with a mill, in the north there are former prison buildings.
The heart of the Kremlin is the cathedral complex, which, together with the fortress towers, determines its unique silhouette. It was created over almost three centuries, but the main buildings date back to the 16th-17th centuries. The dominant building is the three-tier Transfiguration Cathedral, which is a symbol of the greatness of the Solovetsky Monastery. This five-domed temple was built in the 16th century and its stern appearance resembles a fortress. The thickness of its walls in some places is about five meters, and the corner aisles are similar to fortress towers. On the first tier of the cathedral there are vaulted rooms, used mainly for household needs, on the second - the premises of the temple itself, on the third - four chapels.
An outstanding attraction is the Assumption Refectory Complex, with the construction of which stone construction began on the Solovetsky Islands. It includes the Assumption Church, the Refectory and Cellar Chambers. IN holidays In the Refectory, tables are still set for guests and brethren today, and delicious monastery bread is still baked in the monastery bakery.
The complex of ancient buildings also includes the Annunciation Church, built in the best traditions of Russian temple architecture. Also on the territory of the monastery you can see a stone water mill built in the 17th century, the oldest in Russia.
During the excursion you will see religious buildings built in more late period– Holy Trinity Zosimo-Savatievsky Cathedral, Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Metropolitan Philip’s Cathedral, bell tower. Overview hiking around the Solovetsky Kremlin lasts about three hours. Cost – 400 rubles (in Russian), 650 rubles (in another language).
Hermitages and deserts
Not far from the monastery walls, on the picturesque shore of Lake Igumen, is the Filippova, or Jesus, Hermitage. Back in the 16th century, Abbot Philip retired here, spending time in silent prayers. According to the chronicle, one day Jesus Christ appeared to him, after which the abbot built a wooden chapel by the lake with his own hands. In the middle of the 19th century, the chapel was rebuilt into a church named after the Icon of the Mother of God, and later a stone cell building was erected. In 1935, Pavel Florensky, a famous religious figure, philosopher and scientist, worked here in captivity.
Approximately 4 km from the Solovetsky Kremlin, on the shore of Lake Lower Perth, there is the Makarievskaya Hermitage. This corner of the Solovetsky Islands, surrounded by hills, is often called the dacha of Archimandrite Macarius, the Gorka farm, and the Botanical Garden. The local unique microclimate has long been loved by the monastery abbots. At the beginning of the 19th century, one of them, Archimandrite Macarius, built a wooden chapel and two cells here: for his own solitude and for the residence of monks. Then a modest two-story house was built here, and the surrounding land began to be cultivated. Vegetable gardens appeared here, the monks built terraces on the hillsides, where they laid out flower beds and planted berry bushes, cedar trees, apple trees, and in heated greenhouses they grew melons and watermelons.
Today, the Botanical Garden of the Solovetsky Islands is located here, where, just 160 km from the Arctic Circle, gardens with bird cherry, lilac, apple trees bloom, and roses are fragrant. The Botanical Garden presents more than 700 species of plants planted in different historical periods.
Hiking and walking tours are held in the Makarievskaya Hermitage bus excursions. A walking tour with an overview of the picturesque surroundings takes about three and a half hours, and a bus ride takes about an hour and a half. Cost – 400 rubles per person.
11 km from the monastery, on Sekirnaya Mountain, is the Holy Ascension Monastery, founded in the 19th century. A three-tier stone church was built here, on the dome of which there is a lighthouse. Since ancient times, at sunset, monks lit a lantern to show the way to sailors and fishermen. They say its light was visible 100 km away. The lighthouse still operates today.
13 km north-west of the Solovetsky Kremlin is the Savvatievsky monastery. Until the 18th century, hermit monks retired to these places, after which monastic fishermen and haymakers lived here in the summer. In the middle of the 19th century, a stone church and cell building were erected here. In the post-revolutionary years, the monastery served as a place of imprisonment for Socialist-Revolutionaries and Mensheviks, and in the 40s of the last century, a school for young naval officers was located here. Today, services are held in the restored church on holidays.
One of the most ancient deserts on the Solovetsky Islands is Isaac’s. It is located in a beautiful area, surrounded by lakes rich in fish. It is known that already in the 17th century there was a wooden chapel dedicated to Isaac of Dalmatia, and later a cell building was built. In the 18th century the desert became a fishing center. During the “camp” era, logging was carried out here. Today, the meadows surrounding the monastery are the most significant monastic hayfields on the Solovetsky Islands.
Journey through the lakes
Anyone who goes on a journey through the Solovetsky lakes and the canals connecting them will never forget these silent shores overgrown with forest, golden sandbanks, water lilies forming a continuous carpet in the backwaters, crystal clear water where flocks of fish frolic, and funny ducklings, chasing the boat and begging for food. The lakes are especially beautiful in the morning, when their mirror-like surface is mysteriously covered with fog. The water in the canals is running, clean, you can drink it without fear, just like hundreds of years ago.
On Bolshoi Solovetsky Island you will have the opportunity to travel through lakes and man-made canals on a small rowing boat, which you will control yourself. Excursions take place along two routes: the Small Circle (5-6 lakes) and the Large Circle (11-12 lakes). Each traveler is given an inflatable vest, and the boat has a life preserver. The boat station is located on the island of Middle Perth, but tickets must be purchased at the tour desk of the museum-reserve (the distance between the points is about 3 km, you will have to walk). Traveling around the lakes takes from 3 hours, the cost is from 550 rubles per person.
At the western tip of the island there is one of the rare places on our planet where you can watch beluga whales right from the shore - northern whales, whose color, depending on age, smoothly changes from dark blue to white. It is better to watch them in June-July, when they swim very close to the shore.
Anzersky Island
Anzersky Island, or Anzer, is the second largest island of the Solovetsky archipelago, its territory is 24 km². Anzerskaya Salma Strait separates Anzer from other compactly located islands. The coast of the island is completely dotted with coves, the western coast is especially picturesque, dotted with boulders covered with soft moss, among which lingonberry bushes and wild rose hips hide. The central part of Anzer is similar in its landscape to the Big Solovetsky Island. Here, luxurious forests give way to spacious meadows with tall fragrant grass, they are bordered by lakes with the mirror-like surface of still water, along the roads there are flower carpets woven from fireweed, lungwort, bells, buttercups, violets, forget-me-nots, and dandelions.
Among the other Solovetsky Islands, Anzer is perhaps the most conducive to hermitage. It is 22 km away from the mainland coast, and at times, in unfavorable weather, communication is interrupted for a long time. Excursions depart here from Bolshoi Solovetsky Island by boat, which departs from the pier in Dolgaya Guba Bay. The journey lasts about 12 hours, the cost is from 1600 rubles per person. Excursions around the island are on foot, there is no service here, so take care of food in advance.
During the trip, you will be able to enjoy the view of the magnificent landscapes of the island and visit its two main shrines - strict prayer monasteries: Holy Trinity (XVII century) and Golgotha-Crucifixion (XVIII century). Today both monasteries are active. Formally, they are part of the Solovetsky Monastery, but housekeeping and internal way of life are the prerogative of the monastery residents. They are mostly recluses and devote most of their lives to solitary prayers.
Very close to the main island of the archipelago is the island of Bolshaya Muksalma, they are separated by two straits: the Southern Iron Gate and the Northern Iron Gate. The islands are connected by a kilometer-long causeway, built by monks from stone boulders. You can get to Bolshaya Muksalma by boat or go on an exciting, but quite extreme journey along the dam. If you decide to go on foot, wear rubber shoes and warm clothes, and if you prefer to go on a bicycle, keep in mind that you will have to carry it part of the way, as many parts of the dam are swampy. The width of the dam allows a truck to drive across it, but vehicles are not a good option, as it is very easy to get stuck.
In the morning hours, the dam, shrouded in a whitish haze, looks completely mystical; no less charming landscapes will open up to you here in the pre-sunset hours. At the end of the dam, where Bolshaya Muksalma begins, local fishermen sell delicious smoked fish.
The territory of the island itself is slightly more than 17 km², it is the third largest among the Solovetsky Islands. Here you will not see any forests or lakes; most of the island territory is covered with small forests, among which picturesque groves with low, bizarrely shaped Karelian birch trees stand out.
At the dawn of the Solovetsky Monastery’s existence, these lands were used for grazing the monastery’s cows and horses. Later, a cattle yard was established here, and then hayfields appeared. In 1876, a stone temple was built on the island in the name of Sergius of Rodonezh, and 20 years later - a monastery with the same name. In the 20th century, all the buildings fell into disrepair, but today restoration work is underway here.
Malaya Muksalma
The rocky islet of Malaya Muksalma, the smallest of the Solovetsky Islands, occupies an area of only 0.57 km². It adjoins the island of Bolshaya Muksalma on its south-eastern side and is separated from the latter by a narrow strait, which can be forded at low tide.
Apart from the wooden barn, which is a typical outbuilding of the 19th century, there is only one interesting attraction here - the Chapel of the Nativity. Some historians consider it the oldest building on the Solovetsky Islands.
Zayatsky Islands
Directly opposite the southwestern coast of Bolshoi Solovetsky Island are the Zayatsky Islands - Bolshoy and Maly. Both of them are small. The first occupies an area of 1.25 km², and the second – 1.02 km², and is separated by a narrow strait. You can get here from the main island by boat in 45 minutes. The excursion will cost you from 750 rubles per person. Walking route It runs along a specially equipped ecological trail, from which it is forbidden to leave.
Despite its proximity to the Bolshoy Solovetsky Island, covered with lush vegetation, the “Hares” or “Bunnies”, as the islanders affectionately call them, show a completely different landscape. The local nature reminds us of the proximity of the Arctic Circle. The area here is deserted, reminiscent of the tundra: rocky ground, sparse bushes, trees in the forests are small and stunted, there are no lakes, swamps, or plowed meadows here. However, this corner of Solovki is filled with its own charm.
Bolshoy Zayatsky Island is famous for the fact that there are megalithic structures, dating back to the 2nd-1st centuries BC. e. They are boulder mounds laid out in the shape of a labyrinth. The question of their purpose is still open, but most scientists believe that the stone labyrinths are associated with the pagan funeral cult of the Sami. The fact that similar structures can be found in Ireland, the Scandinavian countries, and northern France may indicate that once upon a time there lived a single civilization in the north of Europe.
On Bolshoi Zayatsky Island there is the first stone harbor in Russia, built back in the 16th century from local boulders. Another famous landmark of the island is the perfectly preserved St. Andrew’s Church, built at the behest of Peter I.
Where to stay
The Solovetsky Islands cannot boast of excellent tourist infrastructure, and in order to find themselves in the kingdom of pristine nature, tourists have to sacrifice a certain amount of comfort. Hotels and tourist complexes are concentrated on Bolshoi Solovetsky Island. They offer both rooms with all amenities and shared rooms where toilets and showers are located on the floor. A double room with amenities will cost you from 4,500 rubles per day. There are several guest houses on the territory of the reserve, where the price for a double room starts from 3,000 rubles.
In the village of Solovetsky, almost every family willingly rents out housing. You can rent a room for 1,500 rubles, an apartment - from 2,550 rubles per day.
Many nature lovers come to Solovki with their own tents. For such guests, on the outskirts of the village there is a platform for tent city. In order to get a place here, you will need permission from the local administration. Additionally, you will have to pay a fee of 250 rubles/day per person. Residents of the town have access to a field kitchen and a bathhouse.
Souvenirs
To remember the Solovetsky Islands, you can purchase illustrated books or photo albums with views of the museum-reserve, Pomeranian souvenirs - animal figurines made of wood. Local gingerbreads called “roe” are popular.
You can find interesting icons in the monastery shops.
Where to eat
Cafes and restaurants are mainly located on the territory of tourist centers and hotels, but from time to time they serve groups and are therefore closed to individual tourists. The menu in Solovetsky establishments is quite varied; dishes are mainly prepared from local products - fish, mushrooms, berries.
You can have a snack in the refectory. On average it will cost 400 rubles per person, in a cafe - a little more. A non-alcoholic hearty dinner in a restaurant - from 1,500 rubles per person.
Transport
Public transport on the Solovetsky Islands it is represented by PAZ museum and hotel buses, designed for 25 people. Private transportation is also common here (mostly jeeps and minibuses). You need to negotiate prices with the driver. You can rent a car from a private person (usually about 5,000 rubles/day). Since there are no asphalt roads on Solovki, the speed of transport is no more than 25 km per hour.
Popular transport is boats and ships, on which you can travel around the islands and get to the mainland. The cost of the trip is from 600 rubles per person (depending on the distance).
Tourists often rent bicycles, preferring mountain models, since the terrain here is hilly. At rental points you can rent a bicycle for an hour (80-150 rubles) or for more long term, which will be much cheaper.
- Regardless of what time of year you go to the Solovetsky Islands, take warm clothes, a windbreaker, a waterproof raincoat and shoes with you. Women must wear a long skirt and headscarf to visit places of worship.
- In monasteries and monasteries you need to behave modestly and quietly, you can only take photographs with the blessing of the abbot of the monastery. Mobile phones should be turned off.
- During excursions, you are not allowed to walk around the bus, drink alcohol, or throw garbage out the windows.
- There are no ATMs on Solovki, so you won’t be able to get by here without cash.
- To get a complete picture of the Solovetsky Islands, you will need at least 3 days, but when planning your trip, keep in mind that your stay here can be delayed at any time due to storms, fog, wind, when communication with the mainland is interrupted.
How to get there
There is a small airport on Bolshoi Solovetsky Island. You can fly here from Moscow and St. Petersburg with a transfer in Arkhangelsk. In total it will take about 5 hours. Cost – from 25,000 rubles round trip. The airport is often closed due to weather conditions.
During the shipping season, it is convenient to get to the Solovetsky Islands from the cities of Kemi and Belomorsk, located on the mainland. Those arriving in Kem need to take a minibus to the pier in the village of Rabocheostrovsk (about 20 minutes). Regular and private boats and motor ships depart from here in the summer twice a day. A two-hour trip will cost from 1,500 rubles for an adult, a ticket for a child from 3 to 10 years old - from 750 rubles. Young children can travel for free.
From Belomorsk (from the port of Rybny) it takes longer – about 4 hours. Ticket prices are similar to the previous route.
The Solovetsky archipelago is located in the northern part of the Onega Bay of the White Sea, 165 km south of the Arctic Circle.
The archipelago includes over a hundred islands, and six islands are quite large: Bolshoi Solovetsky, Anzer, Bolshaya and Malaya Muksalma, Bolshoi and Maly Zayatsky. total area archipelago 300 sq. km. Bolshoi Solovetsky Island, the largest on the White Sea, has an area of 219 square meters. km.
The highest points of Solovki: Mount Verbokolskaya (86 m) in the northwestern part of the island. Anzer, Mount Sekirnaya (74 m) on Bolshaya Solovetsky Island, Mount Golgotha (64 m) on Anzer Island.
The unique nature of the Solovetsky Islands is largely determined not only by their geographical isolation, but also by their unique microclimate: winters here are mild, spring is colder than autumn, and summers are cool. The seasons are delayed by two to three weeks compared to the mainland.
The unique nature of Solovki lies in the fact that on an area of only a few tens of square kilometers you can find such natural complexes and landscapes that on the mainland are many hundreds of kilometers apart from each other. These are tundra (5% of the archipelago area), forest-tundra (10%), taiga forests (more than 60%), lakes (13%), and swamps (12%).
White Sea
The White Sea is home to about 1,500 species of animals and plants. Among them are 460 species of plants, about 1000 species of invertebrates, 70 species of fish and 6 species of sea animals.
The sea is rich in reserves of bottom plants - algae and sea grass zoster. These reserves are estimated in millions of tons. White Sea algae has more than 190 species. Among them, three species are commercial. These are kelp (seaweed), fucus and ahnfeltia.
Among the fish of the White Sea, salmon, herring, flounder, and lumpfish are especially valued. The commercial fish of the White Sea also include navaga, brown trout, smelt, and catfish.
The list of seabirds that were observed on Solovki includes about 190 species. This is more than on any other islands of the White Sea. But only half nest on Solovki. The rest appear on migration in spring and autumn. The most common birds at sea are gulls, waders, Atlantic guillemot, eider, merganser, and terns.
Mammals of the White Sea are represented by several species, and the seal, bearded seal and beluga whale live in the sea all year round.
Nature of Solovki
Shrubs, lichens and mosses grow in the shade of trees and in open areas. Dense grass can only be seen in meadows, which are almost all artificial. Among herbaceous plants there are many that are well known to residents middle zone Russia.
In August and September, a lot of mushrooms grow on the roadsides, along the shores of lakes and on the sea coast: porcini mushrooms, aspen mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, russula, capillaries, chanterelles, white and black milk mushrooms, honey mushrooms. In autumn, the tundra blooms with a bright, colorful carpet.
Most of the animals live under the cover of the forest, of which there are fewer on Solovki than on the mainland at the same latitude. Only hares, squirrels, foxes and mice were able to get to the islands. Appear in summer the bats. In the last century, reindeer and muskrat were brought to the islands. Of the reptiles on Solovki, only the viviparous lizard is found. There are no snakes.
There are much more forest and lake birds on the islands. These are ducks, waders, mallards, loons, turukhtan, and white partridge. A common inhabitant of the Solovetsky Islands is the goldeneye. Of the forest birds that you can most often see in summer, you can see hazel grouse, thrush, brambling, tit, woodpecker, bunting, and wood grouse.
Architectural ensemble of the Solovetsky Monastery
The architectural ensemble of the Solovetsky Monastery began to be created in the middle of the 15th century. The first churches and fraternal cells were wooden. Time has destroyed wooden buildings and has not preserved their appearance for us.
In 1552, construction of stone buildings began. For five years, under the leadership of the Novgorod
masters built the Assumption Church, the Refectory and the Cellar Chambers, combined into one volume. Of the monuments of this complex, the most impressive is the Refectory Chamber - the largest single-pillar chamber in Russian monasteries. Its vaults are supported by walls more than two meters thick and a central pillar with a diameter of four meters, made of white stone.
After the completion of the construction of the Assumption Refectory complex, within 8 years, the main temple of the Solovetsky Monastery was built - the Transfiguration Cathedral. The height of the cathedral is 42 meters. In the upper two tiers there are the main altar and six side churches; in the basements there are tombs in which locally revered saints are buried.
The 17th century was the time of construction of residential and commercial buildings of the monastery. In the northern courtyard, the Tailor and Chobot Chamber (1642) has been recreated in its original appearance. Of the outbuildings of that time, the most interesting is the stone mill, standing in the Southern courtyard on one of the underground canals flowing from the Holy Lake to the Harbor of Prosperity.
Among the monuments of the 18th century, the three-tiered bell tower is noteworthy, the most high building Kremlin (52 meters). In 1798, the Filippovskaya Church, standing opposite the southern facade of the Transfiguration Cathedral, was consecrated.
In the 19th century, on the site of the dilapidated St. Nicholas Church (1583), the five-domed St. Nicholas Cathedral was built, and on the site of the Zosimo-Savvatyevsky chapel of the Transfiguration Cathedral - the single-domed Trinity Cathedral.
Fortress
In the middle of the 16th century, during the Livonian War, Swedish warships appeared near Solovki. The monastery arms itself and builds a wooden fortress on Solovki.
In the 80s of the 16th century, wooden forts were built on the mainland using funds from the Solovetsky Monastery - Sumsky, Kemsky, Kola, Rinozersky. The monastery and forts housed garrisons with numerous archers.
At the end of the 16th century, from 1582 to 1596, a boulder fortress was built around the Solovetsky Monastery, which became one of the largest in Russia.
The total length of the walls of the Solovetsky Fortress is 1200 meters, the thickness at the base is up to 7 meters, the height is up to 10 meters, the height of the towers is up to 17 meters.
In the corners of the fortress there are round battle towers: Arkhangelskaya, Nikolskaya, Korozhnaya, Pryadilnaya, Belaya. The western wall, facing the sea, is fortified by the Assumption Tower.
The Pristenok with two towers - Povarennaya and Kvasovarnaya - overlooks the Holy Lake. There are eleven passages in the towers and walls. To the system defensive structures The Solovetsky Monastery also included two dry ditches built on the “approachable” - southern and northern - sides of the fortress. The northern ditch has been relatively well preserved to this day.
Over its long history, the fortress of the Solovetsky Monastery was tested for strength several times. In the 17th century, from 1674 to 1676, it was stormed by the archers of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich - the monastery rebelled against the church reform begun by Patriarch Nikon. During the Crimean War, in July 1854, the monastery was fired upon by two English frigates from 120 cannons. The shelling continued for nine hours. In both cases, the Solovetsky Fortress remained impregnable.
Filippovskie gardens
A kilometer from the village, to the side of the road leading to Sekirnaya Gora, there is a unique structure built in the middle of the 16th century - the Filippov Gardens.
The Solovetsky Monastery had many fishing grounds on the coast of the islands - places where they caught fish with a seine. sea fish, mainly cod and herring. But the catch was never guaranteed. Therefore, back in the 16th century, the idea arose to create a permanent supply of live sea fish at the monastery.
For this purpose, a small sea bay, located not far from the monastery and quite well protected from the wind, was dammed, blocking it with two stone dams. Two closed sea basins were formed. They were made under Abbot Philip and received the name “Philippov Gardens”.
The dam is not a solid dam, such as can be seen in the strait near Muksalma. A kind of stone network was built here. The dam stones are specially laid so that the ebb and flow of sea water can flow into and out of the basin to almost its entire depth. Along with the tidal water, fish fry, plankton, and some species of invertebrates, which serve as food for large fish, enter the cages. Most likely, these were reservoirs for keeping caught fish, mainly cod, since Solovetsky herring is very sensitive to transplantation.
On the sea coast near the dam and on the section of the seabed that is exposed every day at low tide, you can observe the inhabitants of the White Sea, as well as the plants of the seaside meadow.
Botanical Garden (Makaryevskaya Hermitage)
The botanical garden is located 4 kilometers from the Solovetsky Kremlin, on the shore of Lake Lower Perth. Thanks to the terrain and the forest approaching from all sides, a microclimate has developed in the area of the Botanical Garden that has a beneficial effect on the growth of plants transferred from other latitudes and climatic zones.
In 1822, the hermitage of the Solovetsky Monastery was founded on this site, built under Archimandrite Macarius and given his name. At the top of one of the hills they built a wooden cell, and below it, near the lake, two cells.
In the subsequent period, the territory was quickly developed. There is information that already in the first half of the 19th century, fruit and berry bushes and medicinal plants were grown on Aleksandrovskaya Mountain and next to it and brought to the islands.
By the middle of the 19th century, apple trees, rose hips, and shadberry trees were planted, two chapels, a boulder glacier-cellar, several outbuildings were built, and a worship cross was installed on the top of Krestovaya Mountain.
In 1862, the Archimandrite's Dacha, a two-story wooden building that served for temporary visits by the abbot, was built from larch imported from the mainland.
The location of a wax factory in the desert contributed to the development of the garden, because... The hot water released after melting the wax was drained through wooden pipes and used to heat the soil and greenhouses. In the greenhouses, the monks grew flowers and fruit-bearing crops, which they showed to guests as monastic curiosities.
According to monastery legend, at the end of the 19th century. Solovetsky monks traveled to the Pamirs, where they met with the Dalai Lama and brought large-fruited rose hips, lilacs, bergenia and other plants as gifts to the abbot. The wrinkled rose, the Hungarian lilac and the thick-leaved bergenia are now represented in the garden by the most massive plantings of the monastic period.
During the period of the Solovetsky camps, new plants appeared on the territory of the garden, and areas of meadows and the wax plant were used for growing crops. The undoubted decoration of the garden was the central alley of larches, planted in 1935 with trees aged 5-7 years, grown in nurseries.
Since 1979, the Solovetsky Museum-Reserve has resumed work on clearing the Botanical Garden of overgrowth and restoring previously cultivated lands. Currently, the Botanical Garden is home to more than 500 plant species, 80% of which were planted after 1989.
Sekirnaya Mountain (Holy Ascension Monastery)
On all the islands of the archipelago you can find hills with steep, almost vertical slopes. One of the highest hills on Solovki was named Sekirnaya Mountain.
In the 60s of the 19th century, a monastery monastery was organized on Sekirnaya Hill, the main building of which was the stone Ascension Church, built in 1860. A lighthouse was built above the church in 1862, which became the largest lighthouse on the White Sea. Adjacent to the church is a wooden cell building, surrounded by outbuildings. A steep staircase of 294 steps leads to the platform in front of the temple, which offers a breathtaking view of the northwestern part of Solovetsky Island.
In the second half of the 19th century, the monastery became a place of mass pilgrimage and acquired an economy: a berry nursery appeared, a boulder bathhouse and a stable were built.
During the Solovetsky Gulag, a punishment cell was set up on Sekirnaya Gora, and mass executions of prisoners were carried out at the foot of the mountain.
Sekirnaya Mountain became a symbol of the suffering of prisoners in the Solovetsky camps, so it was here, at the foot of the mountain, in August 1992, that Patriarch Alexy II established Worship cross in memory of all those who died in the Solovetsky camp.
Savvatievo
Savvatievo is located two kilometers from Sekirnaya Mountain. The place of the prayerful deeds of Saints Savvaty and Herman was immortalized in time immemorial by the creation of a memorial desert.
Initially, in the 17th century, there was a chapel of St. Savvaty and several cells, but the heyday of this memorial place occurred in the second half of the 19th century. In 1858-1860 A stone church is being built in honor of Our Lady Hodegetria. Later, a two-story cell building was added to the church vestibule; a hotel, new fraternal buildings, and outbuildings were erected nearby. The monastery is surrounded by artificial meadows, a drainage system is being installed in the wetlands, and a vegetable garden and greenhouse are being created.
After the organization of camps on the archipelago in July 1923, a political detention center was set up in Savvatievo, in which the Socialist Revolutionaries, Mensheviks and anarchists, political opponents of the Bolsheviks, were kept. In 1925, the “politicians” were sent to the mainland, and an agricultural enterprise was organized in Savvatievo.
In 1942, the Jung School was located on the territory of Savvatievo. The stone buildings housed classrooms, headquarters and teachers lived, and the cabin boys built themselves dugouts for housing. Over the three years of its existence, the school of cabin boys has trained more than 4,000 specialists for the Navy.
Isakovo
If you continue your journey from Savvatyevo further along the road, you will first come to the shore of the Big Red Lake - the most big lake on Solovki, and after 300 meters the road will lead to Isakovo - one of the most picturesque places on Bolshoi Solovetsky Island.
The skete is named after the chapel of St. Isaac of Dalmatia, built in the 18th century on one of the hills (the chapel has not survived). Isakovo is located between two lakes - Karasev and Isakovskoye, on a hill with small hills.
The lakes are connected by a narrow channel, behind which lies a wide meadow, approaching the foot of Sekirnaya Mountain. This marshy meadow was dried by drainage ditches, which are still preserved today. In Isakovo there were monastic hayfields and a fishing artel that supplied the monastery with fresh lake fish.
From the buildings of the monastery period in Isakovo, 2 boulder buildings have been preserved: a bathhouse on the shore of the lake and a barn.
Lake-canal system
The Solovetsky Islands are a lake region. Most of There are about 500 lakes on Bolshoi Solovetsky Island. The lack of rivers prompted settlers to connect the lakes with canals.
Over the course of four centuries, 20 local lake-canal systems were created, the main one of which is the Holy Lake system, which includes more than 70 lakes and canals. The Holy Lake supplied the inhabitants of the monastery with drinking water. On the canals running from the lake to the sea, a cookery and a kvass factory operated, water wheels for the mill were installed, and then they were replaced by turbines.
The water of the Holy Lake, flowing through the canals, helped saw logs into planks, generate electricity, and filled the Dry Dock for ship repairs.
To increase water flow at the beginning of the twentieth century. Some of the canals were widened and passage by boats became possible. In 1913, transport canals already united 9 lakes, transmitting the energy of the drainage through the old main canal from the Drinking Lake to the Holy Lake and from there through the canals to the new mill turbine (1907) and hydroelectric power station (1912).
When starting a rowing boat trip, you should stick to the right bank of Middle Perth Lake. The first channel can be navigated by boat in the usual way, keeping to the center of the channel. When passing through channels, try not to touch the stones with the bottom and sides of the boat.
The entrance to the canal from Lake Krugloye Orlovo to Lake Shchuchye is marked with a sign. This and the next channel are relatively narrow and should be passed carefully, removing the oars from the rowlocks and rowing them along the side of the boat. At its end, before exiting into Lake Shchuchye, you can see the remains of a building built at the beginning of the 20th century. dams.
On Lake Shchuchye the boat routes diverge. Small Circle Route goes to the left bay - follow the sign. The next lake, Plotichye, abounds in aquatic plants. You have to be careful when driving around thickets of yellow egg capsule. A canal from Lake Plotichye leads to the last lake of this lake-canal system - Bolshoye Karzino. From here begins a specially laid path in the forest to the Botanical Garden.
The Great Circle Path At first it goes the same way as in the Small Circle. In the lake Shchuch'ye, keeping to the right bank, you will come to the Valdai Canal, lined with stone and reinforced with log frames. On the bank of the canal there are remains of the sliding bridge mechanism. Transition from the lake Valdai in the lake B. Red presents an impressive picture. Three channels follow each other.
Solovetsky village
The village of Solovetsky was organized on February 12, 1944. In March 1987, a district was organized on Solovki, which was part of the Arkhangelsk region. On April 1, 1987, the District Council and Solovetsky District were formed.
high school provides complete secondary education.
District police department ensures law and order, security traffic, exercises control over registration at the place of permanent and temporary residence.
Forestry monitors the condition of forests, produces sanitary fellings, conducts forest management work.
In 1961, Solovki was organized rybkoop(raipo), which currently provides Solovki residents with food and industrial goods. Raipo owns 3 stores: 2 food and one industrial goods.
Solovetsky district hospital located in the building of a former military hospital. The hospital has an outpatient clinic, a 15-bed hospital, an operating room, a treatment room, a laboratory, a pharmacy and a dental office.
Diesel power station(DES) supplies the population and organizations with electrical and thermal energy. The power of the diesel power plant is 2200 kilowatts. Diesel fuel is imported annually from the mainland at the end of the summer navigation.
In the village you can see buildings from the camp period, which now houses the exhibition “Solovetsky Camps and Prison. 1920-1939", cafe "Courtroom", grocery store, living quarters.
Zayatsky Islands
Five kilometers southeast of Blagopoluchiya Harbor there is a group of Zayatsky Islands, covered mainly with tundra vegetation.
Among the islands of this group, Bolshoi Zayatsky Island stands out, its area does not exceed 1.5 km².
Here is the largest pagan sanctuary in the European North of Russia, a complex of religious and funerary buildings from the 2nd-1st millennia BC. It includes 13 labyrinths and about 900 other stone structures (mounds, mounds and symbolic displays); it also contains the world’s largest stone labyrinth with a diameter of over 25 m.
Apparently, the Zayatsky Islands in ancient times were a sacred place where religious rites were performed.
Another group of attractions on Bolshoy Zayatsky Island consists of monastery buildings from the 16th-19th centuries. During the time of Abbot Philip (Kolychev), in the middle of the 16th century, a stone harbor with “docks” for repairing ships was built here. A stone chamber was built on the island at the same time as the harbor.
Nearby stands the building of the Church of St. Andrew the First-Called, erected during the second visit to Solovki by Peter the Great in 1702. Officially, on Bolshoi Zayatsky Island, the monastic settlement was not considered a skete, but there were the archimandrite’s chambers, a hotel, a cellar, and a cookery.
During the period of the Solovetsky camps, a women’s punishment cell was organized on Bolshoi Zayatsky Island.
Bolshaya Muksalma Island
Bolshaya Muksalma, the third largest island in the Solovetsky archipelago, lies east of Solovetsky Island. A cyclopean boulder dam more than 1 kilometer long, built by the Solovetsky Monastery in 1866, connects Muksalma with Solovetsky Island.
The economic development of the island by the monastery began already in the first half of the 16th century. and was associated with the ban on keeping viviparous cattle near the walls of the monastery, given in the monastery charter. The Muksalma Islands were isolated from the main territory of the monastery, relatively accessible and had a food supply sufficient to support a small monastic herd.
In the first third of the 19th century, a monastery estate began to emerge on Bolshaya Muksalma. Then around the barnyard large area The forest was cut down, a large meadow was cleared of stumps and boulders, drainage ditches were dug, and good haymaking was arranged. The canal, more than three kilometers long, connected several lakes on the island and delivered water to the monastery estate.
In 1876, the brick-built church of St. Sergius of Radonezh.
At the beginning of the XX century. cell buildings were built for the brethren and workers. These monuments have survived to this day.
In 1923-1939, during the camp period, an agricultural department of SLON was organized on Bolshaya Muksalma. The Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh housed a rabbitry, and for the first time a pig farm appeared on the islands.
In 1939, the camp period in the history of Solovki ended. The Northern Fleet Training Detachment became the owner of the islands. In the area of Mount Tabor, the most high point dugouts and artillery positions were built on the island. An airfield for light aircraft was built in the meadow near the estate.
Anzer Island
Anzer Island is the second largest island of the Solovetsky archipelago. At the beginning of the 17th century, Eleazar, a monk of the Solovetsky Monastery, organized the first monastery on Anzer, which became a place of solitude for monastic ascetics.
Thanks to the patronage of the royal family, the monastery was independent of the Solovetsky Monastery for quite a long time. The ensemble of the Trinity Skete, despite the destruction inflicted on it during Soviet times, has survived to this day in the form in which it was finally formed in the 18th-19th centuries.
Another monastery, in honor of the Crucifixion of the Lord, was built at the beginning of the 18th century by the confessor of Tsar Peter Alekseevich, who was tonsured in the Solovetsky Monastery with the name of Job. Obeying the instructions of the Mother of God, who appeared to him in a vision at the foot of Mount Golgotha, Job built a monastery on the top of the mountain.
During Job's lifetime it was built wooden church The Crucifixion of the Lord, which was replaced by a stone church in the 19th century. Both churches have survived to this day.
With the closure of the Solovetsky Monastery and the organization of the Special Purpose Camp on the Solovetsky archipelago, a special, sixth section of the camp was established on Anzer. Since the mid-20s, a nursery for industrial breeding of fur-bearing animals, primarily sables and arctic foxes, operated here. At the end of the 20s, the Golgotha-Crucifixion Monastery was turned into a typhoid hospital, where hundreds of prisoners died.
Currently, Anzer is transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church. Golgotha-Ruspyatsky and Holy Trinity monasteries resumed their activities.
Philippi (Jesus) desert
2 km east of the monastery on the road to Muksalma is the Philippov (Jesus) hermitage.
This place is remarkable for the beauty of the surrounding landscape and for the significance it occupied in the spiritual history of the monastery. The hermitage is located on a hill, at the foot of which a small lake called Igumensky approaches from the western side.
The foundation of the desert is associated with the name of St. Philip. He chose this place for prayerful solitude back in the mid-40s of the 16th century, when he was appointed abbot of the Solovetsky Monastery. He fell in love with the hermitage so much that until he left for Moscow to take the metropolitan throne, he regularly visited her, retiring for a while in a modest cell built for the abbot by the brethren.
In the 19th century, the schema-monks retired here for silence, for whom a stone building was built (the only monastic building that has survived in the desert to this day). In 1856, a church was erected in the desert in honor of the “Life-Giving Spring” icon of the Mother of God, and next to it there was a belfry and a gazebo.
In 2002, next to the newly cleaned well, the brethren of the reviving Solovetsky monastery placed a Poklonny cross, made in the monastery cross-carving workshop.