Valaam (; ) is an

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands. An archipelago may be in an ocean, a sea, or a smaller body of water. Example archipelagos include the Aegean Islands (the o ...

in the northern portion of

Lake Ladoga Lake Ladoga is a freshwater lake located in the Republic of Karelia and Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia, in the vicinity of Saint Petersburg. It is the largest lake located entirely in Europe, the second largest lake in Russia after Lake ...

, lying within the

Republic of Karelia The Republic of Karelia, or simply Karelia or Karjala (; ) is a Republics of Russia, republic of Russia situated in the Northwest Russia, northwest of the country. The republic is a part of the Northwestern Federal District, and covers an area of ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

. The total area of its more than 50 islands is 36 km². The largest island is also called Valaam. Other named islands are: Skitsky (second by size), Lembos, Sviatoy, Bayonny, Moskovsky, Predtechensky, Nikonovsky, Divny, Emelyanov, Oboronny, Goly, Savvaty's, Zosima's, Skalisty, Lukovy, Ovsiany, Rzhanoi, Nikolsky. It is best known as the site of the 14th century

Valaam Monastery The Valaam Monastery (; ) is a stauropegic Eastern Orthodox Church, Orthodox monastery in Russian Republic of Karelia, Karelia, located on Valaam, the largest island in Lake Ladoga, the largest lake in Europe. History It is not clear when the mon ...

on Valaam Island and for its natural environment.Selby p. 175

Etymology

In historical references, the island has also been referred to by the name Walamo, particularly in early European accounts and during the period of geographic exploration. This alternative name may have been used in certain cultural contexts, particularly in relation to the region’s broader connections with surrounding areas. The name "Valaam" and similar variants, such as "Valamo,

Salla Salla, known as Kuolajärvi until 1936, is a municipality of Finland, located in Lapland. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . The nearby settlement of Sallatunturi is ...

, and

Ukko (), or ( Finnish for 'male grandparent', 'grandfather', 'old man'), parallel to Uku in Estonian mythology, is the god of the sky, weather, harvest, and thunder across Finnic paganism. , the Finnish word for thunder, is the diminutive ...

, appear in both Finnish traditions and certain regions of sub-Saharan Africa, particularly around

Lake Victoria Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. With a surface area of approximately , Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake by area, the world's largest tropics, tropical lake, and the world's second-largest fresh water lake by surface are ...

. Some researchers have noted these similarities and speculated about potential historical or cultural connections between these regions. However, these claims remain speculative and are not widely supported in mainstream scholarship. Additionally, parallels are found in historical colonial records, such as the names "Susi" and "Tapio," which were used by both Finnish and African communities, documented by European explorers like

David Livingstone David Livingstone (; 19 March 1813 – 1 May 1873) was a Scottish physician, Congregationalist, pioneer Christian missionary with the London Missionary Society, and an explorer in Africa. Livingstone was married to Mary Moffat Livings ...

. Finnish researcher Kalle Eetu Vuorio explored such connections in his 1931 work ''Suomalaiset Välimeren auringon alla'', where he proposed links between Finnish and Mediterranean cultures. However, Vuorio's theories, including the idea of Finnish people having ancient Mediterranean origins, have been largely dismissed by contemporary scholars and are not widely accepted in modern academic discourse.

History

In the 12th century, the islands were a part of the

Novgorod Republic The Novgorod Republic () was a medieval state that existed from the 12th to 15th centuries in northern Russia, stretching from the Gulf of Finland in the west to the northern Ural Mountains in the east. Its capital was the city of Novgorod. The ...

. In the 17th century, they were captured by

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

during the

Time of Troubles The Time of Troubles (), also known as Smuta (), was a period of political crisis in Tsardom of Russia, Russia which began in 1598 with the death of Feodor I of Russia, Feodor I, the last of the Rurikids, House of Rurik, and ended in 1613 wit ...

, but

reconquered them less than a century later. When the

Grand Duchy of Finland The Grand Duchy of Finland was the predecessor state of modern Finland. It existed from 1809 to 1917 as an Autonomous region, autonomous state within the Russian Empire. Originating in the 16th century as a titular grand duchy held by the Monarc ...

was set up in the early 19th century as an autonomous part of the Russian Empire,

Alexander I of Russia Alexander I (, ; – ), nicknamed "the Blessed", was Emperor of Russia from 1801, the first king of Congress Poland from 1815, and the grand duke of Finland from 1809 to his death in 1825. He ruled Russian Empire, Russia during the chaotic perio ...

made Valaam a part of Finland. In 1917, Valaam became a part of newly independent

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

, but it was annexed by the

USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

after the

Winter War The Winter War was a war between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet invasion of Finland on 30 November 1939, three months after the outbreak of World War II, and ended three and a half months later with the Moscow Peac ...

and

Continuation War The Continuation War, also known as the Second Soviet–Finnish War, was a conflict fought by Finland and Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union during World War II. It began with a Finnish declaration of war on 25 June 1941 and ended on 19 ...

. The island was visited repeatedly by emperors Alexander I, Alexander II, and other members of the imperial family. Other famous visitors include

Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer during the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally. Tchaikovsky wrote some of the most popular ...

and Mendeleyev. The island is permanently inhabited by monks and families. In 1999, there were about 600 residents on the main island; including army service personnel, restoration workers, guides and monks. There is a kindergarten, an arts and sports venue, a school, a small museum and a medical centre. The community on Valaam at the moment has no official administrative status. During the summer, the main island can be reached by tour boats which leave St. Petersburg at night and arrive at the island the following morning. The

president of the Russian Federation The president of Russia, officially the president of the Russian Federation (), is the executive head of state of Russia. The president is the chair of the Federal State Council and the supreme commander-in-chief of the Russian Armed Forces. I ...

has a

dacha A dacha (Belarusian, Ukrainian language, Ukrainian and rus, дача, p=ˈdatɕə, a=ru-dacha.ogg) is a seasonal or year-round second home, often located in the exurbs of former Soviet Union, post-Soviet countries, including Russia. A cottage (, ...

on one of the islands of Valaam, but its precise location is not publicly known.

Geography

The climate and natural history of the island are unique because of its position in Lake Ladoga. Spring begins at the end of March and a typical summer on Valaam consists of 30–35 sunny days, which is more than on the mainland. The average temperature in July is . The winter and snow arrive in early December. In the middle of February the ice road to the nearest city of

Sortavala Sortavala (; Finnish language, Finnish and ; ), previously known as Serdobol () until 1918, is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located at the northern tip of Lake Ladoga near the Finland, Finni ...

() is traversable. The average temperature of February is . More than 480 species of plants grow on the island, many of which have been cultivated by monks. The island is covered by coniferous woods, about 65% of which are pine. Ten species of mammals and more than 120 avian species call the archipelago home.

Gallery

File: St. Nicholas Skete on island Valaam on Ladoga lake and little ship..jpg, Saint Nicholas Skete on island Valaam on Ladoga lake and little ship. File: The Skit of Smolensky on the Valaam (Valamo),.jpg, The Skete of Smolensky on the Valaam (Valamo) File: Rocks on Valaam Island in Lake Ladoga..jpg, Rocks on Valaam Island in

File: The Skete of St. Nicholas on island Valaam.jpg, The bridge on the road to Saint Nicholas skete. File: The Skete of All Saints.jpg, The Skete of All Saints on the Valaam island File: The archipelago in Ladoga Lake with the Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Saviour..jpg, The archipelago in Ladoga Lake with the Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Saviour.

References

Sources

* Selby, N. ''St. Petersburg'', 2nd. edition, 1999, Lonely Planet Publications

External links

*http://nordictravel.ru/page/valaam.html *https://web.archive.org/web/20130404201414/http://valaam.ru/en/ *http://www.brill.com/oldest-one-russia {{Coord, 61, 22, 27, N, 30, 57, 39, E, region:RU-KR_type:isle_source:dewiki, display=title Landforms of the Republic of Karelia Archipelagoes of Europe Lake islands of Europe Lake islands of Russia World Heritage Tentative List Sortavala Museums in the Republic of Karelia Prison islands