Valaam Island
The island of Valaam is considered popular due to the fact that the famous monastery is located on it. It got its name from Valamo, this word translates as high and mountainous land. The island is located approximately 40 kilometers from the city of Sortavala, the village is under the control of the City Administration.
History
If you delve into history, you can find out that various pagan tribes lived on the Island of Valaam. For them, this island served as a place for various rituals. Almost all the dwellings of the tribes were destroyed on purpose, since all the events took place during the era of the adoption of Christianity. But if you try, you can come across various strange inventions of these tribes. For example, at the end of Valaam Island you can see a kind of road made of stone; it begins its path at the exit from the forest and goes into the depths of the water. But still, Valaam Island gained popularity thanks to the Valaam Monastery; it should be noted that the monastery was built strictly for men. The date of construction of the museum is considered to be the 20th-21st centuries, but one of Valaam’s books says that the Monastery was built at the beginning of the 15th century.
Description
The main highlight of Valaam Island is the cathedral, which was built in 1774. Small rooms were installed around the monastery, inside which there was a table, a chair and a bed. And in two corners two churches were built, Nikolskaya and Assumption. 31 years after the installation of the cathedral, another church was built. This church was built in honor of the Holy Apostles. Another asset of the Monastery complex is the bell tower, the height of which reaches 72 meters.
How to get there
If you get to Valaam Island from St. Petersburg, you will have to travel more than 200 kilometers by boat, so many visitors make everything much easier. They travel by rail or by car to Sortavala, and from there they travel by boat. It's much faster this way. In our time, the Valaam Monastery still remains active and constantly receives parishioners who wish to pray or confess.