They say that on Solovki you can serve the Liturgy anywhere, to such an extent the entire Solovetsky land is soaked in the blood of martyrs. The ancient monastery, used as a prison since the 16th century, is adjacent to the barracks of the Solovetsky special purpose camp of 1923-1929. Human suffering is felt here along with the joy of the resurrection and the freedom of an unconquered faith. The artist Mikhail Nesterov, who worked on Solovki even before the revolution, in the 1920s, admonishing an acquaintance who received a Solovki sentence, said: “Don’t be afraid of Solovki, Christ is close there.”
Monastery, fortress, prison...
Solovetsky archipelago, consisting of six big islands and many small islands, is located in the White Sea, 165 kilometers from the Arctic Circle. Immediate settlements on the mainland - Arkhangelsk, Kem and Belomorsk.
Even in prehistoric times, the Sami sailed here and staged ritual dances in front of the idol stones. Their pagan temples were located on the islands. Then the Pomors chose the islands of the White Sea closest to the mainland for their fishing stops.
In 1429, the monks Savvaty and German landed on a small Pomeranian boat-shnyak to the shore of the Big Solovetsky Island. For three days they rowed in the icy sea in order to acquire the desired solitude of hermitage. Since then, a completely different life began on the Solovetsky Islands. Not far from the shore of Sosnovaya Bay, in a convenient place for living near the lake, Savvaty and German erected a cross and built a cell. This was the beginning of monastic life on Solovki. The organizer of the Solovetsky monastery itself was the Monk Zosima, an associate of the Monk Herman. The text of the life tells of a miraculous vision: a beautiful church in heavenly radiance appeared to St. Zosima in the east. At the site of the vision, a wooden temple was built in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord. A church was also built in honor of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is how the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Solovetsky Monastery was founded. This monastery was destined to become the heart of spiritual life, a missionary center and an outpost of the Russian state in the north. It also became the harshest prison in Russia. The fact that the monastery is a former camp is clearly visible even now. Traces of prison life - thick wooden doors with peepholes, feeding troughs and rusty locks - are still preserved.
Since 1923, one of the first concentration camps for opponents of Soviet power was located on Solovki - the Solovetsky Special Purpose Camp (SLON). The entire archipelago is, in fact, a huge cemetery.
While the sun is shining
If you go to Solovki for the first time, you should definitely go by ship and not fly by plane. In guidebooks you can read: “The monastery, like the fairy-tale city of Kitezh, grows straight out of the water,” but no words will convey the vivid impression of this spectacle.
After visiting the monastery, the pilgrims' paths diverge. There is so much to see on Solovki that even during a whole vacation you may not have time to see everything. Moreover, you want to stay longer somewhere: to pray, to look at the sea. Therefore, if you are traveling for a short time, then do not try to run around everything. It will be just a fuss. It is better to choose the two most interesting or important places in your opinion and make them your main goal. For example, Anzer Island and Sekirnaya Mountain. The optimal time to pray in the monastery and have time to make two big trips is two weeks.
There is a rule on Solovki - do not plan anything in advance. Surprises will always await you. We gathered by sea for Anzer - there was a storm. We finally decided to go mushroom picking - it was raining. The weather on Solovki is unpredictable and changes instantly. So the program for your stay on the island should be based on the principle “travel while the sun shines.” But a raincoat is your faithful friend on any trip.
The travel time depends on your mood. If you are in the mood for communication and leisure, then it is better to go before the so-called Solovetsky holidays, that is, until August 12, the day of the discovery of the relics of St. Herman of Solovetsky. At this time, events of the Solovetsky Museum-Reserve are held on Solovki: a bard song festival, a sailing regatta, etc. The time of the “Solovetsky holidays” is the hottest for residents, guides, and monks.
If you are looking for solitude and silence, then you should go after the holidays of the Solovetsky monastery, which last from August 12 to the Assumption (August 28), the patronal feast of the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the monastery. On August 29, the ship with the last tourists departs, and only “our” people remain on the island.
Drive or walk?
Places that can be visited with benefit on Solovki are everywhere. The approximate average distance between them is 12 kilometers. There are also very remote monasteries, about eighteen kilometers from the village. So what type of transportation should you choose?
Bus excursions, rental cars (this is also available on Solovki) are suitable for those who want to have time to visit everywhere in three days, who are frail or come with children. A bicycle is for those who want to get to several places on their own in a short period of time. There are several bicycle rental shops on the island. Prices are different everywhere.
If you are not in a hurry, it is best to walk. Along the way, you can admire the forest, pick mushrooms, swim in lakes, marvel at colorful boulders, photograph giant anthills, lie on soft mosses and lichens, and eat blueberries to your black palms! You will have at your disposal not only roads, but also narrow paths. Of course, in such independent travel You cannot go without a card. Best card sold in the monastery, it is suitable for both pilgrims and tourists. Not the most popular roads are marked on it, and the location of objects is closest to reality.
Where to go in bad weather
If it's gloomy and rainy on the island, it's time for sightseeing tour at the Solovetsky Monastery. It’s better to go on a pilgrimage excursion, then they will not only tell you about the churches of the monastery, but also tell you the schedule of services, and tell you when you can venerate the relics (crayfish with relics are opened during the fraternal prayer service, which is served every day at 6 am).
In bad weather you can go to Maritime Museum. Opened relatively recently and supported solely by the efforts of enthusiasts, the museum has broken all records for popularity. This is a shipyard museum: a real ship is being built before your eyes. Here you will learn that Pomor boats were sewn together in the literal sense of the word, that Pomors are not a nationality, and that the Russian fleet began not under Tsar Peter, as is commonly believed, but much earlier. The museum is located on Seldyany Cape, in the Rowing Barn. Open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Free admission.
Detailed information about all exhibitions of the Solovetsky Museum-Reserve can be found on the website http://www.solovky.ru/.
Most popular routes:
1. Anzer Island. The first monasteries of the Solovetsky Monastery were founded here. In the 18th century, the Monk Job of Anzer (in schema - Jesus) organized the Golgotha-Crucifixion monastery on Mount Golgotha. On February 7, 1929, in a hospital isolation ward, which was made in a monastery, Hieromartyr Peter Zverev completed his earthly feat. Right there, on the spot mass graves, an unusual birch tree grew, the branches of which spread out in a regular cross.
You can only get here by sea with a guided tour.
2. Holy Ascension Monastery on Sekirnaya Mountain of the Big Solovetsky Island. During the camp there was a punishment cell in the monastery, one of the most scary places camp ELEPHANT. A steep staircase leads to the monastery from the foot of the mountain - 71 m in height. The sick were thrown off it so as not to waste ammunition on them.
3. Bolshoi Zayatsky Island. The port complex, intended to receive trade and fishing vessels, was founded in the 16th century under the holy abbot Philip. In the summer of 1702, the ships of Peter I entered the harbor on Zayatsky Island. The Emperor ordered the construction of a wooden church on the island in honor of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called. This church has survived to this day. During the camp, there was a women's punishment cell here.
You can only get to the island by sea with a guided tour.
4. Muksalma Island. The island is connected to Bolshoi Solovetsky Island by a dam 1220 meters long. This unique technical structure is the result of the work of monks in the 60s of the 19th century. On the island there is the monastery of St. Sergius of Radonezh. During the persecutions of the 20th century, the monastery was a prison. Now church life has been restored in it. The island can be reached on foot (9 km). The dam is a place of rare beauty.
Also interesting
The navigable lake-canal system of Solovki (Big Solovetsky Island) was built by monks in the 19th century. Total length systems - about 12 kilometers. Monastery steam boats transported building materials along the canals. Here you can rent boats and independently sail two boat routes - “Small Circle” and “Big Circle”. Rental costs about 100 rubles per hour.
Detailed information about the routes can be found on the website http://www.solovki.info. All routes are marked on the map, which is sold in the monastery.
How to get there?
1. Direct flight via Arkhangelsk (you receive one ticket, but in Arkhangelsk you transfer to another plane). In Moscow, tickets for this “special flight” can be purchased at the Aeroflot-Nord ticket office (tel.: 266-89-09).
2. By train Moscow-Murmansk or St. Petersburg-Murmansk to Kem station. Then by sea to Solovki it takes from 2 to 4 hours, depending on the weather and the speed of the vessel. As a rule, navigation on the White Sea opens in early June. The boat departs from the pier in the neighboring village of Rabocheostrovsk at 8 am. You will be taken to the village by either city bus No. 1, a minibus, or a taxi for 300 rubles. You must be at the pier at 6.30 am. You can buy boat tickets in advance at the hotel near the pier. Then you will be able to get places in the hold where it is not so cold and does not rock. Don't forget to take warm things with you: a hat, gloves, a warm jacket. If you don't get caught in the hold, all this will come in handy.
3. By train Moscow-Murmansk or St. Petersburg-Murmansk to Belomorsk station. Then take a comet or a motor ship to Solovki.
Detailed information about transport traffic and ticket prices can be found at information portal http://www.solovki.info.
How and where to live?
The island has everything: hospital, library, post office, shops. There are telephone booths cellular(except for the Beeline company). During the season, shops are open until two o'clock in the morning. There is also a department store where, if anything happens, you can buy rubber boots, raincoats, etc.
Very detailed information about Solovetsky hotels is on the portal http://solovki.info/?action=archive&id=80.
In addition, the islands thrive private sector. Even at the pier, people with signs saying “Housing for rent” will start attacking you. The cost of a bed for private owners ranges from 200 to 400 rubles or more, depending on the amenities. During the “Solovetsky holidays” there is an influx of pilgrims, so finding accommodation is quite difficult if you do not take care of it in advance.
For pilgrims outside the walls of the fortress, in the village, there is a free monastery hotel. On the territory of the monastery itself there is a building for male workers. To get a job as a worker, you must make a separate agreement with the dean of the monastery.
Women workers live, like pilgrims, in a pilgrimage hotel in the village. The monastery hotel is a two-story wooden barracks (before the revolution it was a vocational school). All the rooms, cramped and stuffy, are completely filled with metal beds, pushed close to each other. Each pilgrim group prepares its own food separately in a common kitchen and eats in the corridors at long wooden tables. After 23.00 the hotel doors are closed until the morning. Workers have lunch in a separate refectory.
Contacts of the pilgrimage service of the Solovetsky Monastery: 164070 Arkhangelsk region, pos. Solovetsky, Solovetsky Monastery. Tel./fax: 8 (818-35-90) 2-98, duty officer, ask the pilgrimage service) or mob. tel.: +7-911-575-83-10. More information about the church life of the monastery can be found on the website www.solovki-monastyr.ru. Another one useful link: http://www.solovki.ca/index.php.
Schedule of services at the Solovetsky Monastery
6.00 Morning service. Midnight Office. Brotherly prayer service to Saints Zosima, Savvaty and German. At the end of the prayer service, the brethren of the monastery, workers and pilgrims, except for servants and choir members, go to obedience. Divine services continue in the church, hours and the Divine Liturgy are celebrated.
17.00 9th hour. Vespers. Matins. 1st hour
After the 1st hour, a funeral lithium is celebrated, and on Friday there is a memorial service. At the end of the service - troparion, kontakion and prayer to St. Zosima, Savvaty and Herman.
In the evening, after finishing the meal, prayers for bedtime.
17.00 Vespers. Prayer singing with Akathist to St. Zosima, Savvaty and Herman.
On pre-holiday days:
17.00 All-night vigil. 1st hour At the end of the 1st hour - prayers for sleep for those coming, troparion, kontakion and prayer to the Monks Zosima, Savvaty and Herman.
IN holidays:
8.00 Morning prayers. Midnight Office. Troparion, kontakion and prayer to Saints Zosima, Savvaty and Herman. Hours and Divine Liturgy. All the brethren of the monastery, workers and pilgrims are present at the service. At the end of the service - the Rite of Panagia.
17.00 Evening service.
What to read before your trip:
1. Solovetsky Patericon
2. Boris Shiryaev “The Unquenchable Lamp”
3. Alexey Laushkin and Varvara Aksyuchits-Laushkina “Solovetsky Monastery and its immediate surroundings”, guidebook
They say that on Solovki you can serve the Liturgy anywhere, to such an extent the entire Solovetsky land is soaked in the blood of martyrs. The ancient monastery, used as a prison since the 16th century, is adjacent to the barracks of the Solovetsky special purpose camp of 1923-1929. Human suffering is felt here along with the joy of the resurrection and the freedom of an unconquered faith. The artist Mikhail Nesterov, who worked on Solovki even before the revolution, in the 1920s, admonishing an acquaintance who received a Solovki sentence, said: “Don’t be afraid of Solovki, Christ is close there.”
Monastery, fortress, prison...
The Solovetsky archipelago, consisting of six large islands and many small islets, is located in the White Sea, 165 kilometers from the Arctic Circle. The nearest settlements on the mainland are Arkhangelsk, Kem and Belomorsk.
Even in prehistoric times, the Sami sailed here and staged ritual dances in front of the idol stones. Their pagan temples were located on the islands. Then the Pomors chose the islands of the White Sea closest to the mainland for their fishing stops.
In 1429, the monks Savvaty and German landed on a small Pomeranian boat-shnyak to the shore of the Big Solovetsky Island. For three days they rowed in the icy sea in order to acquire the desired solitude of hermitage. Since then, a completely different life began on the Solovetsky Islands. Not far from the shore of Sosnovaya Bay, in a convenient place for living near the lake, Savvaty and German erected a cross and built a cell. This was the beginning of monastic life on Solovki. The organizer of the Solovetsky monastery itself was the Monk Zosima, an associate of the Monk Herman. The text of the life tells of a miraculous vision: a beautiful church in heavenly radiance appeared to St. Zosima in the east. At the site of the vision, a wooden temple was built in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord. A church was also built in honor of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is how the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Solovetsky Monastery was founded. This monastery was destined to become the heart of spiritual life, a missionary center and an outpost of the Russian state in the north. It also became the harshest prison in Russia. The fact that the monastery is a former camp is clearly visible even now. Traces of prison life - thick wooden doors with peepholes, feeding troughs and rusty locks - are still preserved.
Since 1923, one of the first concentration camps for opponents of Soviet power was located on Solovki - the Solovetsky Special Purpose Camp (SLON). The entire archipelago is, in fact, a huge cemetery.
While the sun is shining
If you go to Solovki for the first time, you should definitely go by ship and not fly by plane. In guidebooks you can read: “The monastery, like the fairy-tale city of Kitezh, grows straight out of the water,” but no words will convey the vivid impression of this spectacle.
After visiting the monastery, the pilgrims' paths diverge. There is so much to see on Solovki that even during a whole vacation you may not have time to see everything. Moreover, you want to stay longer somewhere: to pray, to look at the sea. Therefore, if you are traveling for a short time, then do not try to run around everything. It will be just a fuss. It is better to choose the two most interesting or important places in your opinion and make them your main goal. For example, Anzer Island and Sekirnaya Mountain. The optimal time to pray in the monastery and have time to make two big trips is two weeks.
There is a rule on Solovki - do not plan anything in advance. Surprises will always await you. We gathered by sea for Anzer - there was a storm. We finally decided to go mushroom picking - it was raining. The weather on Solovki is unpredictable and changes instantly. So the program for your stay on the island should be based on the principle “travel while the sun shines.” But a raincoat is your faithful friend on any trip.
The travel time depends on your mood. If you are in the mood for communication and active recreation, then it is better to go before the so-called Solovetsky holidays, that is, until August 12, the day of the discovery of the relics of St. Herman of Solovetsky. At this time, events of the Solovetsky Museum-Reserve are held on Solovki: a bard song festival, a sailing regatta, etc. The time of the “Solovetsky holidays” is the hottest for residents, guides, and monks.
If you are looking for solitude and silence, then you should go after the holidays of the Solovetsky monastery, which last from August 12 to the Assumption (August 28), the patronal feast of the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the monastery. On August 29, the ship with the last tourists departs, and only “our” people remain on the island.
Drive or walk?
Places that can be visited with benefit on Solovki are everywhere. The approximate average distance between them is 12 kilometers. There are also very remote monasteries, about eighteen kilometers from the village. So what type of transportation should you choose?
Bus excursions and rental cars (this is also available on Solovki) are suitable for those who want to visit everywhere in three days, who are frail or come with children. A bicycle is for those who want to get to several places on their own in a short period of time. There are several bicycle rental shops on the island. Prices are different everywhere.
If you are not in a hurry, it is best to walk. Along the way, you can admire the forest, pick mushrooms, swim in lakes, marvel at colorful boulders, photograph giant anthills, lie on soft mosses and lichens, and eat blueberries to your black palms! You will have at your disposal not only roads, but also narrow paths. Of course, you can’t go on such an independent trip without a map. The best map is sold in the monastery; it is suitable for both pilgrims and tourists. Not the most popular roads are marked on it, and the location of objects is closest to reality.
Where to go in bad weather
If it's gloomy and rainy on the island, it's time for a sightseeing tour of the Solovetsky Monastery. It’s better to go on a pilgrimage excursion, then they will not only tell you about the churches of the monastery, but also tell you the schedule of services, and tell you when you can venerate the relics (crayfish with relics are opened during the fraternal prayer service, which is served every day at 6 am).
In bad weather, you can go to the Maritime Museum. Opened relatively recently and supported solely by the efforts of enthusiasts, the museum has broken all records for popularity. This is a shipyard museum: a real ship is being built before your eyes. Here you will learn that Pomor boats were sewn together in the literal sense of the word, that Pomors are not a nationality, and that the Russian fleet began not under Tsar Peter, as is commonly believed, but much earlier. The museum is located on Seldyany Cape, in the Rowing Barn. Open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Free admission.
Detailed information about all exhibitions of the Solovetsky Museum-Reserve can be found on the website http://www.solovky.ru/.
Most popular routes:
1. Anzer Island. The first monasteries of the Solovetsky Monastery were founded here. In the 18th century, the Monk Job of Anzer (in schema - Jesus) organized the Golgotha-Crucifixion monastery on Mount Golgotha. On February 7, 1929, in a hospital isolation ward, which was made in a monastery, Hieromartyr Peter Zverev completed his earthly feat. There, on the site of the mass graves, an unusual birch tree grew, the branches of which spread out in a regular cross.
You can only get here by sea with a guided tour.
2. Holy Ascension Monastery on Sekirnaya Mountain of the Big Solovetsky Island. During the camp, there was a punishment cell in the monastery, one of the most terrible places in the SLON camp. A steep staircase leads to the monastery from the foot of the mountain - 71 m in height. The sick were thrown off it so as not to waste ammunition on them.
3. Bolshoi Zayatsky Island. The port complex, intended to receive trade and fishing vessels, was founded in the 16th century under the holy abbot Philip. In the summer of 1702, the ships of Peter I entered the harbor on Zayatsky Island. The Emperor ordered the construction of a wooden church on the island in honor of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called. This church has survived to this day. During the camp, there was a women's punishment cell here.
You can only get to the island by sea with a guided tour.
4. Muksalma Island. The island is connected to Bolshoi Solovetsky Island by a dam 1220 meters long. This unique technical structure is the result of the work of monks in the 60s of the 19th century. On the island there is the monastery of St. Sergius of Radonezh. During the persecutions of the 20th century, the monastery was a prison. Now church life has been restored in it. The island can be reached on foot (9 km). The dam is a place of rare beauty.
Also interesting
The navigable lake-canal system of Solovki (Big Solovetsky Island) was built by monks in the 19th century. The total length of the system is about 12 kilometers. Monastery steam boats transported building materials along the canals. Here you can rent boats and independently sail two boat routes - “Small Circle” and “Big Circle”. Rental costs about 100 rubles per hour.
Detailed information about the routes can be found on the website http://www.solovki.info. All routes are marked on the map, which is sold at the monastery.
How to get there?
1. Direct flight via Arkhangelsk (you receive one ticket, but in Arkhangelsk you transfer to another plane). In Moscow, tickets for this “special flight” can be purchased at the Aeroflot-Nord ticket office (tel.: 266-89-09).
2. By train Moscow-Murmansk or St. Petersburg-Murmansk to Kem station. Then by sea to Solovki it takes from 2 to 4 hours, depending on the weather and the speed of the vessel. As a rule, navigation on the White Sea opens in early June. The boat departs from the pier in the neighboring village of Rabocheostrovsk at 8 am. You will be taken to the village by either city bus No. 1, a minibus, or a taxi for 300 rubles. You must be at the pier at 6.30 am. You can buy boat tickets in advance at the hotel near the pier. Then you will be able to get places in the hold where it is not so cold and does not rock. Don't forget to take warm things with you: a hat, gloves, a warm jacket. If you don't get caught in the hold, all this will come in handy.
3. By train Moscow-Murmansk or St. Petersburg-Murmansk to Belomorsk station. Then take a comet or a motor ship to Solovki.
Detailed information about transport traffic and ticket prices can be found on the information portal http://www.solovki.info.
How and where to live?
The island has everything: hospital, library, post office, shops. There are telephone booths and cellular communications (except for the Beeline company). During the season, shops are open until two o'clock in the morning. There is also a department store where, if anything happens, you can buy rubber boots, raincoats, etc.
Very detailed information about Solovetsky hotels is on the portal http://solovki.info/?action=archive&id=80.
In addition, the private sector is thriving on the islands. Even at the pier, people with signs saying “Housing for rent” will start attacking you. The cost of a bed for private owners ranges from 200 to 400 rubles or more, depending on the amenities. During the “Solovetsky holidays” there is an influx of pilgrims, so finding accommodation is quite difficult if you do not take care of it in advance.
For pilgrims outside the walls of the fortress, in the village, there is a free monastery hotel. On the territory of the monastery itself there is a building for male workers. To get a job as a worker, you must make a separate agreement with the dean of the monastery.
Women workers live, like pilgrims, in a pilgrimage hotel in the village. The monastery hotel is a two-story wooden barracks (before the revolution it was a vocational school). All the rooms, cramped and stuffy, are completely filled with metal beds, pushed close to each other. Each pilgrim group prepares its own food separately in a common kitchen and eats in the corridors at long wooden tables. After 23.00 the hotel doors are closed until the morning. Workers have lunch in a separate refectory.
Contacts of the pilgrimage service of the Solovetsky Monastery: 164070 Arkhangelsk region, pos. Solovetsky, Solovetsky Monastery. Tel./fax: 8 (818-35-90) 2-98, duty officer, ask the pilgrimage service) or mob. tel.: +7-911-575-83-10. More information about the church life of the monastery can be found on the website www.solovki-monastyr.ru. Another useful link: http://www.solovki.ca/index.php.
Schedule of services at the Solovetsky Monastery
6.00 Morning service. Midnight Office. Brotherly prayer service to Saints Zosima, Savvaty and German. At the end of the prayer service, the brethren of the monastery, workers and pilgrims, except for servants and choir members, go to obedience. Divine services continue in the church, hours and the Divine Liturgy are celebrated.
17.00 9th hour. Vespers. Matins. 1st hour
After the 1st hour, a funeral lithium is celebrated, and on Friday there is a memorial service. At the end of the service - troparion, kontakion and prayer to St. Zosima, Savvaty and Herman.
In the evening, after finishing the meal, prayers for bedtime.
17.00 Vespers. Prayer singing with Akathist to St. Zosima, Savvaty and Herman.
On pre-holiday days:
17.00 All-night vigil. 1st hour At the end of the 1st hour - prayers for sleep for those coming, troparion, kontakion and prayer to the Monks Zosima, Savvaty and Herman.
On holidays:
8.00 Morning prayers. Midnight Office. Troparion, kontakion and prayer to Saints Zosima, Savvaty and Herman. Hours and Divine Liturgy. All the brethren of the monastery, workers and pilgrims are present at the service. At the end of the service - the Rite of Panagia.
17.00 Evening service.
What to read before your trip:
1. Solovetsky Patericon
2. Boris Shiryaev “The Unquenchable Lamp”
3. Alexey Laushkin and Varvara Aksyuchits-Laushkina “Solovetsky Monastery and its immediate surroundings”, guidebook
Irina SECHINA
Lake Salar de Uyuni can rightfully be considered one of the most original and amazing places on earth. This unique “reservoir” is part of the unusual lakes of Bolivia.
Once you hear about this place, you begin to tirelessly dream of seeing it. natural miracle with my own eyes. So, what do you think of a typical lake? For many, this is an open natural body of water. Believe me, the Uyuni Salt Flat confidently negates the above ideas about lakes.
In fact, Salar can be called a desert. At least when the rainy season is over. Huge lake dries up, leaving only soil strewn with salt. This salt sparkles in the sun, like precious stones densely strewn on the ground, so you can’t do without glasses on the lake. On a clear, sunny day, the visual line between the sun shining in the sky and the salt glistening on the ground is blurred. It will really seem to you that in this place the vault of heaven has merged with the firmament of the earth. Believe me, the impressions of contemplating this futuristic landscape are simply unforgettable!
But when the rainy season is in full swing, the lake turns into... the largest mirror in the world. Indeed, the water surface with an area of 12 thousand square km looks very impressive.
The most convenient and popular vehicle here is a rented car. On it you can easily get to Lake Salar, and at the same time visit nearby villages.
It is clear that Bolivia is not Turkey or Tunisia, a ticket here costs much more, but there is something to see in Bolivia!
People of various professions and hobbies will be interested here. If you are interested in gardening, then on Rybachy Island admire the ancient cacti, the height of which in some places is equal to a 3-story building. If you are a home-grown historian and love interesting legends, you should visit the "Locomotive Cemetery" and the "Forest of Stones". Statues in " stone forest"created exclusively by wind and water. Being among the whimsical stone compositions, you realize that nature is the best decorative artist in the universe...
When planning your excursion program in Bolivia, which you can, for example, buy from the tour operator “Vesely Veter”: http://www.vesveter.ru/tury_bolivia.htm, spend a couple of days on Lake Salar. We recommend staying in a “salt” hotel. All furniture and furnishings are made from... sodium chloride, or table salt - chairs, tables, lamps, railings and everything that can be touched here.
If you are craving “salty” food or just want to visit an amazingly beautiful and unusual place, meet me at the Salar de Uyuni.
They say that on Solovki you can serve the Liturgy anywhere, to such an extent the entire Solovetsky land is soaked in the blood of martyrs. The ancient monastery, used as a prison since the 16th century, is adjacent to the barracks of the Solovetsky special purpose camp of 1923-1929. Human suffering is felt here along with the joy of the resurrection and the freedom of an unconquered faith. The artist Mikhail Nesterov, who worked on Solovki even before the revolution, in the 1920s, admonishing an acquaintance who received a Solovki sentence, said: “Don’t be afraid of Solovki, Christ is close there.”
Monastery, fortress, prison...
The Solovetsky archipelago, consisting of six large islands and many small islets, is located in the White Sea, 165 kilometers from the Arctic Circle. The nearest settlements on the mainland are Arkhangelsk, Kem and Belomorsk.
Even in prehistoric times, the Sami sailed here and staged ritual dances in front of the idol stones. Their pagan temples were located on the islands. Then the Pomors chose the islands of the White Sea closest to the mainland for their fishing stops.
In 1429, the monks Savvaty and German landed on a small Pomeranian boat-shnyak to the shore of the Big Solovetsky Island. For three days they rowed in the icy sea in order to acquire the desired solitude of hermitage. Since then, a completely different life began on the Solovetsky Islands. Not far from the shore of Sosnovaya Bay, in a convenient place for living near the lake, Savvaty and German erected a cross and built a cell. This was the beginning of monastic life on Solovki. The organizer of the Solovetsky monastery itself was the Monk Zosima, an associate of the Monk Herman. The text of the life tells of a miraculous vision: a beautiful church in heavenly radiance appeared to St. Zosima in the east. At the site of the vision, a wooden temple was built in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord. A church was also built in honor of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is how the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Solovetsky Monastery was founded. This monastery was destined to become the heart of spiritual life, a missionary center and an outpost of the Russian state in the north. It also became the harshest prison in Russia. The fact that the monastery is a former camp is clearly visible even now. Traces of prison life - thick wooden doors with peepholes, feeding troughs and rusty locks - are still preserved.
Since 1923, one of the first concentration camps for opponents of Soviet power, the Solovetsky Special Purpose Camp (SLON), was located on Solovki. The entire archipelago is, in fact, a huge cemetery.
While the sun is shining
If you go to Solovki for the first time, you should definitely go by ship and not fly by plane. In guidebooks you can read: “The monastery, like the fairy-tale city of Kitezh, grows straight out of the water,” but no words will convey the vivid impression of this spectacle.
After visiting the monastery, the pilgrims' paths diverge. There is so much to see on Solovki that even during a whole vacation you may not have time to see everything. Moreover, you want to stay longer somewhere: to pray, to look at the sea. Therefore, if you are traveling for a short time, then do not try to run around everything. It will be just a fuss. It is better to choose the two most interesting or important places in your opinion and make them your main goal. For example, Anzer Island and Sekirnaya Mountain. The optimal time to pray in the monastery and have time to make two big trips is two weeks.
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The travel time depends on your mood. If you are in the mood for communication and active recreation, then it is better to go before the so-called Solovetsky holidays, that is, until August 12, the day of the discovery of the relics of St. Herman of Solovetsky. At this time, events of the Solovetsky Museum-Reserve are held on Solovki: a bard song festival, a sailing regatta, etc. The time of the “Solovetsky holidays” is the hottest for residents, guides, and monks.
If you are looking for solitude and silence, then you should go after the holidays of the Solovetsky monastery, which last from August 12 to the Assumption (August 28), the patronal feast of the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the monastery. On August 29, the ship with the last tourists departs, and only “our” people remain on the island.
Drive or walk?
Places that can be visited with benefit on Solovki are everywhere. The approximate average distance between them is 12 kilometers. There are also very remote monasteries, about eighteen kilometers from the village. So what type of transportation should you choose?
Bus excursions and rental cars (this is also available on Solovki) are suitable for those who want to visit everywhere in three days, who are frail or come with children. A bicycle is for those who want to get to several places on their own in a short period of time. There are several bicycle rental shops on the island. Prices are different everywhere.
If you are not in a hurry, it is best to walk. Along the way, you can admire the forest, pick mushrooms, swim in lakes, marvel at colorful boulders, photograph giant anthills, lie on soft mosses and lichens, and eat blueberries to your black palms! You will have at your disposal not only roads, but also narrow paths. Of course, you can’t go on such an independent trip without a map. The best map is sold in the monastery; it is suitable for both pilgrims and tourists. Not the most popular roads are marked on it, and the location of objects is closest to reality.
Where to go in bad weather
If it's gloomy and rainy on the island, it's time for a sightseeing tour of the Solovetsky Monastery. It’s better to go on a pilgrimage excursion, then they will not only tell you about the churches of the monastery, but also tell you the schedule of services, and tell you when you can venerate the relics (crayfish with relics are opened during the fraternal prayer service, which is served every day at 6 am).
In bad weather, you can go to the Maritime Museum. Opened relatively recently and supported solely by the efforts of enthusiasts, the museum has broken all records for popularity. This is a shipyard museum: a real ship is being built before your eyes. Here you will learn that Pomor boats were sewn together in the literal sense of the word, that Pomors are not a nationality, and that the Russian fleet began not under Tsar Peter, as is commonly thought, but much earlier. The museum is located on Seldyany Cape, in the Rowing Barn. Open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Free admission.
Detailed information about all exhibitions of the Solovetsky Museum-Reserve can be found on the website http://www.solovky.ru/.
Most popular routes:
1. Anzer Island. The first monasteries of the Solovetsky Monastery were founded here. In the 18th century, the Monk Job of Anzersky (Jesus in the schema) organized the Golgotha-Crucifixion Monastery on Mount Golgotha. On February 7, 1929, in a hospital isolation ward, which was made in a monastery, Hieromartyr Peter Zverev completed his earthly feat. There, on the site of the mass graves, an unusual birch tree grew, the branches of which spread out in a regular cross.
You can only get here by sea with a guided tour.
2. Holy Ascension Monastery on Sekirnaya Mountain of the Big Solovetsky Island. During the camp, there was a punishment cell in the monastery, one of the most terrible places in the SLON camp. A steep staircase leads to the monastery from the foot of the mountain - 71 m in height. The sick were thrown off it so as not to waste ammunition on them.
3. Bolshoi Zayatsky Island. The port complex, intended to receive trade and fishing vessels, was founded in the 16th century under the holy abbot Philip. In the summer of 1702, the ships of Peter I entered the harbor on Zayatsky Island. The Emperor ordered the construction of a wooden church on the island in honor of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called. This church has survived to this day. During the camp, there was a women's punishment cell here.
You can only get to the island by sea with a guided tour.
4. Muksalma Island. The island is connected to Bolshoi Solovetsky Island by a dam 1220 meters long. This unique technical structure is the result of the work of monks in the 60s of the 19th century. On the island there is the monastery of St. Sergius of Radonezh. During the persecutions of the 20th century, the monastery was a prison. Now church life has been restored in it. The island can be reached on foot (9 km). The dam is a place of rare beauty.
Also interesting
The navigable lake-canal system of Solovki (Big Solovetsky Island) was built by monks in the 19th century. The total length of the system is about 12 kilometers. Monastery steam boats transported building materials along the canals. Here you can rent boats and sail on your own two boat routes - “Small Circle” and “Big Circle”. Rental costs about 100 rubles per hour.
Detailed information about the routes can be found on the website http://www.solovki.info. All routes are marked on the map, which is sold in the monastery.
How to get there?
1. Direct flight via Arkhangelsk (you receive one ticket, but in Arkhangelsk you transfer to another plane). In Moscow, tickets for this “special flight” can be purchased at the Aeroflot-Nord ticket office (tel.: 266-89-09).
2. By train Moscow-Murmansk or St. Petersburg-Murmansk to Kem station. Then by sea to Solovki it takes from 2 to 4 hours, depending on the weather and the speed of the vessel. As a rule, navigation on the White Sea opens in early June. The boat departs from the pier in the neighboring village of Rabocheostrovsk at 8 am. You will be taken to the village by either city bus No. 1, a minibus, or a taxi for 300 rubles. You must be at the pier at 6.30 am. You can buy boat tickets in advance at the hotel near the pier. Then you will be able to get places in the hold where it is not so cold and does not rock. Don't forget to take warm things with you: a hat, gloves, a warm jacket. If you don't get caught in the hold, all this will come in handy.
3. By train Moscow-Murmansk or St. Petersburg-Murmansk to Belomorsk station. Then take a comet or a motor ship to Solovki.
Detailed information about transport traffic and ticket prices can be found on the information portal http://www.solovki.info.
How and where to live?
The island has everything: hospital, library, post office, shops. There are telephone booths and cellular communications (except for the Beeline company). During the season, shops are open until two o'clock in the morning. There is also a department store where, if anything happens, you can buy rubber boots, raincoats, etc.
Very detailed information about Solovetsky hotels is on the portal http://solovki.info/?action=archive&id=80.
In addition, the private sector is thriving on the islands. Even at the pier, people with signs saying “Housing for rent” will start attacking you. The cost of a bed for private owners ranges from 200 to 400 rubles or more, depending on the amenities. During the “Solovetsky holidays” there is an influx of pilgrims, so finding accommodation is quite difficult if you do not take care of it in advance.
For pilgrims outside the walls of the fortress, in the village, there is a free monastery hotel. On the territory of the monastery itself there is a building for male workers. To get a job as a worker, you must make a separate agreement with the dean of the monastery.
Women workers live, like pilgrims, in a pilgrimage hotel in the village. The monastery hotel is a two-story wooden barracks (before the revolution it was a vocational school). All the rooms, cramped and stuffy, are completely filled with metal beds, pushed close to each other. Each pilgrim group prepares its own food separately in a common kitchen and eats in the corridors at long wooden tables. After 23.00 the hotel doors are closed until the morning. Workers have lunch in a separate refectory.
Contacts of the pilgrimage service of the Solovetsky Monastery: 164070 Arkhangelsk region, pos. Solovetsky, Solovetsky Monastery. Tel./fax: 8 (818-35-90) 2-98, duty officer, ask the pilgrimage service) or mob. tel.: +7-911-575-83-10. More information about the church life of the monastery can be found on the website www.solovki-monastyr.ru. Another useful link: http://www.solovki.ca/index.php.
Schedule of services at the Solovetsky Monastery
6.00 Morning service. Midnight Office. Brotherly prayer service to Saints Zosima, Savvaty and German. At the end of the prayer service, the brethren of the monastery, workers and pilgrims, except for servants and choir members, go to obedience. Divine services continue in the church, hours and the Divine Liturgy are celebrated.
17.00 9th hour. Vespers. Matins. 1st hour
After the 1st hour, a funeral lithium is celebrated, and on Friday there is a memorial service. At the end of the service there is a troparion, kontakion and prayer to Saints Zosima, Savvaty and Herman.
In the evening, after finishing the meal, prayers for bedtime.
17.00 Vespers. Prayer singing with Akathist to St. Zosima, Savvaty and Herman.
On pre-holiday days:
17.00 All-night vigil. 1st hour At the end of the 1st hour - prayers for the future to sleep, troparion, kontakion and prayer to the Monks Zosima, Savvaty and Herman.
On holidays:
8.00 Morning prayers. Midnight Office. Troparion, kontakion and prayer to Saints Zosima, Savvaty and Herman. Hours and Divine Liturgy. All the brethren of the monastery, workers and pilgrims are present at the service. At the end of the service - the Rite of Panagia.
17.00 Evening service.
1. Solovetsky Patericon
2. Boris Shiryaev “The Unquenchable Lamp”
3. Alexey Laushkin and Varvara Aksyuchits-Laushkina “Solovetsky Monastery and its immediate surroundings”, guidebook
Foreigners, like Australians, feel transported to another country here. Tasmania is said to be the bright emerald in Australia's crown, its greenest state.
Olga Nikolaevna and Boris Pavlovich Schwartz went to Tasmania on the strong recommendations of their friends who had been living on the Green Continent for a long time.
We sailed on a huge, comfortable ferry, where passengers were provided with shops, bars, and other entertainment,” the couple say. - We left our cars on the lower deck, and ourselves settled in comfortable cabins. By the way, if someone wants to save money, they can while away the night in comfortable soft chairs. The ferry, whose name translates as "Spirit of Tasmania", took us from Sydney to the island in one night.
Reference
Tasmania- an island off the southeast coast of Australia, separated from the mainland by Bass Strait. Together with the surrounding islands, the state of Australia. Area - 68 thousand km2, climate is temperate, population more than 500 thousand people. Administrative center- city of Hobart. The interior of Tasmania is a plateau (height up to 1617 m), covered with forests of eucalyptus and evergreen beeches, and tall grass meadows. Dairy farming and horticulture are developed. There is a hydroelectric power station. The island was discovered Dutch navigator Abel Tasman in 1642, and in the mid-19th century it became a place of exile for especially dangerous criminals. Tasmania is an ecologically clean island with untouched nature and unusual wildlife. One of the brightest representatives is the Tasmanian devil. This small predatory marsupial is found only here.
So, in the morning we were already in one of the most amazing places on Earth. We chose a route using the map, got into the car and hit the road. I must say that we traveled in February - one of the hottest Australian summer months. When we left Sydney, the thermometer was over 40 degrees. And in the morning on the coast of Tasmania, which is washed by the ocean, it was already 16 degrees. After all, Antarctica is close.
What struck me most was the nature of this island-reserve; Olga Nikolaevna still cannot recover from what she saw. - If eucalyptus trees mainly grow on the continent - if I’m not mistaken, there are about fifty species there - then on the island we saw simply an amazing variety of vegetation. Moreover, all this is simply gigantic in size: if it is a fern, then it is the size of a gazebo! The trees grow so densely that it is simply impossible to walk through them. By the way, local residents closely monitor their nature. Here and there, in place of the old forest, we saw new trees planted evenly.
Tasmania is amazing - the nature outside the car window changes every few hours. I remember we passed through an area that was surrounded by beautiful sloping hills covered with delicate grass. And on this grass there are clean lambs grazing - just like in a children's picture. We also saw walking horses, all of them were covered with blankets: local residents take care that, God forbid, the animal does not overheat in the sun. You drive a little further and the road dives into the mountains, with real canyons all around. And all this beauty is under the low sky, which seems to rest directly on the horizon...
You can drive along the road for several hours and not see a single car, but we saw a lot of cyclists along the road. I didn’t notice that there was at least one taxi or public transport. I remember only one bus with German tourists.
We traveled around the island for about a week. We stopped for the night in small towns (from one to another - four to five hours' drive). The cleanliness there is simply extraordinary, and their motels are small cottages - with upholstered furniture, huge TVs and other amenities.
Each town has its own history. So, in one we saw a kind of “walk of fame”. Names and names were carved into the paving slabs. short biography criminals and prostitutes who were once exiled here from Europe.
There are also numerous campsites for tourists in the deep forest. We settled for the first night in one of these houses. Inside it was a living room, kitchen, bedroom, shower, toilet. There was everything from a TV to a microwave oven. All these amenities are quite affordable. I think that in order to fully enjoy the beauty, it is more convenient to travel around Tasmania tourist group, and by car - by small companies. By the way, Australians themselves go to the island on weekends for fishing - there are many small, clean lakes.
I must say that the fishing there is simply excellent,” Boris Pavlovich adds to his wife’s story. - If desired, you can rent a boat and other equipment. Any kind of gear is sold in stores. And friendly locals will also tell you what exactly fish bites best in their lake. For example, with their help I caught three large trout.
The couple is confident: despite the small size of this Australian state, you can travel around Tasmania endlessly. This is simply an amazing place. It is for those who want to have a good rest and get an unforgettable experience.
What is the price
The cost of a round-trip ticket to Sydney is about $1,300 per person.
Ferry - $300 (round trip).
Car rental prices are below the European average.
Rent of a comfortable house - $250 for three days.
Dinner for six people - less than 100 Australian dollars.
Motels - from 40 Australian dollars per night.
100 US dollars = 75-80 Australian dollars.
