Friday, June 26, 2009

Valaam Island.

Valaam Island is located in the Republic of Karelia on the north end of Lake Ladoga. Getting to the island not be difficult, of St. Petersburg is constantly going cruise ships, from the city of Petrozavodsk you can do so using the bus.

Valaam - a picturesque place of the old in Finland. You will meet an entirely new nature, which does not happen to see only traveled to Russia: a wild, sullen, which show inspired, severe beauty - steep cliffs, steep, covered with forests, tend to lake, safe from all sides with granite walls of the bays, which quietly doze net as a mirror of water, while in the lake a terrible storm is raging.

You will see a large monastery on the cliff high above covered with white moss, now treated by monks. On a steep slope of Mount granite staircase leads to the monastery. The emergence of the Valaam Monastery belongs to the early days of Christian education in Russia.

The area of the Valaam archipelago consisting of more than 50 islands, is 36 km2. On the largest island of Valaam accounted for 2 / 3 of the area - 27,8 km 2. The length of the island of 9.6 km, width - 7.8 km.

On the island there are more than 480 plant species, many have been cultivated by monks. The island is covered mainly with coniferous forests (about 65% - pine), in 1965 as a natural reserve.
In the islands rich history. In 7 of the. He belonged to the city of Novgorod, in the early 17 century. it took the Swedes (monastery destroyed them in 1611). First 18. Balaam became again the Russian territory, in 1715 the monastery was restored. In 1918 the island was captured belofinny, and only in 1940, he returned to Russia. In 1979, on the island of Valaam create museum-reserve, which is very popular with many tourists.

Far beyond Russia spread the glory of the true jewel of Ladoga - the island of Valaam. The beauty of his harsh backward rocks, towering over the expanses of Lake Ladoga, the mighty pine and spruce virgin forests, as close to untouched corners of nature - lush gardens and leafy avenues of trees planted caring monk hands, do not leave indifferent. And among the incredible beauty of the bell-towers and domes of the main Cathedral of the monastery - the Transfiguration, the blue domes of a rival with the blue of the northern sky.
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