Valaam, Russia, 20 July 2007
Fort where the Neva River meets Lake Ladoga (taken through the tinted boat window).
The large Transfiguration Monastery and the sketes (small monasteries, 2-10 monks) on Valaam Island are all working monasteries. Many of the monks and most of the monastery's treasure and its icons were moved to Finland during World War II when Russia took northern Lake Ladoga from Finland, but monks have returned and most icons have been restored within the last 10-15 years. About 200 monks are now living at the monastery. There is a very close tie between the monastery at Valaam and that at the Holy Island, Mt. Athos, in Greece. Photos were not allowed inside the main monastery or its church, but were allowed at a few of the sketes.
Cathedral at Transfiguration Monastery.
Cathedral domes.
Outer gate to monastery. Inner gate is visible across the courtyard.
Nativity icon in an outdoor chapel in the monastery garden.
One of the beautiful roads on the island. The trees are not native, but were brought from elsewhere and planted to line the roads.
Ellen and our guide Kate at the abbot's cemetery. Kate and the other guides live on the island during the summer months, but live elswehere the rest of the year. She lives in St. Petersburg and sells opera tickets (but never goes to the opera). We are wearing jackets because it was windy and in the 50s F!
The island taxi will carry people from the boat dock across the island, a distance of ~6 km.
Chapel of the Sepulcher at Resurrection Skete; the empty sepulcher is at the back. Many of the sketes are built with features of various holy sites so people who could not go to Jerusalem could still make a "pilgrimage."
Upper chapel at Resurrection Skete. These are the most recently restored icons at Valaam, made of fiberglass!
Chapel at Gethsemene Skete.
Gethsemene Garden.
Ellen and Ron at Valaam Island. The channel behind us leads out to Lake Ladoga.
Small glacial lake on Valaam Island.
Fort where the Neva River meets Lake Ladoga (taken through the tinted boat window).
Cathedral at Transfiguration Monastery.
Cathedral domes.
Outer gate to monastery. Inner gate is visible across the courtyard.
Nativity icon in an outdoor chapel in the monastery garden.
One of the beautiful roads on the island. The trees are not native, but were brought from elsewhere and planted to line the roads.
Ellen and our guide Kate at the abbot's cemetery. Kate and the other guides live on the island during the summer months, but live elswehere the rest of the year. She lives in St. Petersburg and sells opera tickets (but never goes to the opera). We are wearing jackets because it was windy and in the 50s F!
The island taxi will carry people from the boat dock across the island, a distance of ~6 km.
Chapel of the Sepulcher at Resurrection Skete; the empty sepulcher is at the back. Many of the sketes are built with features of various holy sites so people who could not go to Jerusalem could still make a "pilgrimage."
Upper chapel at Resurrection Skete. These are the most recently restored icons at Valaam, made of fiberglass!
Chapel at Gethsemene Skete.
Gethsemene Garden.
Ellen and Ron at Valaam Island. The channel behind us leads out to Lake Ladoga.
Small glacial lake on Valaam Island.