July 11 and September 24 are the days of remembrance of St. Sergius and Herman the Wonderworkers of Valaam, the founders of the Valaam Monastery.

How they scared us in Moscow

The journey did not begin with a visit to the Moscow Compound of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Valaam Monastery. The worker of the pilgrimage service, who processed our documents, willingly told us what tests await us on the island. “You will live in construction trailers for eight people,” she said in a tone that did not allow for objections. - Men and women separately. Toilet outside, no shower. It is very cold there, take warm clothes. Bed linen must also be brought with you. Communication there is bad, "Beeline" does not catch at all. Every day there will be obediences. What else…” she thought. “Are there snakes there? I decided to suggest. “I really don’t like snakes.” "Snakes? Yes, of course there are snakes. So many. Well, are you going?" "Certainly!". I still wonder how I so easily agreed to live in a construction trailer without amenities, and even in close proximity to snakes. But, to my happiness, in fact, everything turned out to be not so scary, rather the opposite.

Reasoning of future workers

While in Priozersk our group was waiting for the arrival of the Meteor, which was supposed to take us to the island, we started talking among ourselves. It turned out that in the Podvorye they tested not only my determination to spend a week in the monastery - all the pilgrims heard similar horror stories. But no one refused the trip, although everyone made their own conclusions. Someone was sure that, contrary to all forecasts, the weather would be fine, and even expected to swim in warm inland lakes. They knew about this possibility from acquaintances who had visited Valaam in previous years. On the advice of the same acquaintances, my fellow travelers took swimsuits and sandals with them. Among us were those who prepared for the unkind northern conditions in all seriousness - in their backpacks they had thermal underwear, downy sleeping bags and rubber boots. Listening to them, at first I was upset because I didn’t have a swimsuit, and then also because I didn’t have thermal underwear. The conversation did not go further than the contents of our backpacks and bags. No one really knew what awaited us in the monastery. And not every one of us could clearly explain why he was going there. Later on the island, I heard more than once that no one comes to Valaam by chance, but many understand their goal only after a while. As one monk said: “There are no random people here. Whom God called, he came."

Valaam for monks, for pilgrims, for tourists

At first glance, Valaam did not seem to me a gloomy and silent place, as I expected. We landed at an elegant multi-colored chapel, consecrated in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow." The pier was crowded and bustling. Trade rows with souvenirs and food stretched along the shore (not at all Lenten, although the Petrovsky post was going on). There were guidebooks, scented juniper sacks, and woolen socks depicting deer. You could drink coffee with cream, eat ice cream, or buy smoked fish from the fisherman. A team of workers noisily paved the road under the stairs leading to the main cathedral on Mount Tabor with a stone. A man in a quilted jacket and high rubber boots was walking along the pier. The colorful image was completed with a cap, on which a soft toy in the form of a pink fish was attached. Wonderful owner O We immediately called the caps the Valaam fish. It was a local resident who took private tours of the nearby islands on his motorboat. By the way, besides the monks (the number of brethren in the Central Estate is about 100 people), about 300 lay people live on the island, in whose passports “Valaam” appears in the “Residence” column. (In total, there are about 220 monks in the monastery today, some of them live in sketes, some in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sortavalsk courtyards; for comparison, in 1914 the number of brethren reached a thousand people).

After settling in hostels, we went to have lunch. The monastery has a separate refectory for the brethren, a separate one for guests. In our refectory there were three very long tables with benches. The guide accompanying us after the collective singing of "Our Father" went to another table, where the workers of the pilgrimage service had lunch. Groups of tourists were seated at the third table, among which there were many Finns. Each table had its own menu, judging by which the post concerned only workers. The chef of the monastery refectory obviously spared tourists. And not just the chef. Among the tourists, we noticed one drunken individual and wondered why no one kicked him out of the monastery. I remember well how Ivan Shmelev in his book "Old Valaam" said that drunken guests were taken to a small "Drunk" island, where they came to their senses and only after that were allowed into the territory of the Central Estate. Compared with 1895, morals have softened. On Valaam, they are more than tolerant of guests who do not want to change their usual way of life even for a few days. But it is worth saying that on the first day of my stay on the island, I did not see a single person in a monastic guise. It seemed that the monks gave up part of their territory for secular receptions, while they themselves kept away from the bustling pier and other "tourist" places.

Monastic economy

Both on the pier and at the refectory one could buy local pies. Back in Shmelev's book, I read that everyone on Valaam is doing everything with their own hands - they bake bread, grow berries, fruits and cereals, burn bricks, forge iron, saw wood, build temples, paint icons, breed horses, etc. In the off-season, when it is impossible to drive along Ladoga either by boat or on wheels, the monastery is cut off from the world. Therefore, at the end of the 19th century, a well-established economy was formed here, functioning autonomously. During the Soviet-Finnish war and in subsequent years, much was destroyed, many industries no longer exist. Or rather, not yet - something has already been revived, but something is waiting for its turn. The bakery has been refurbished and is being used for its intended purpose. The guide said that at the end of the 19th century, the dough was kneaded by hand using a special device borrowed from Athos monasteries, but now the dough is kneaded mechanically. But bread is still baked in wood-fired ovens. The bakery does not fully cover the needs of the monastery, so bread for the refectory is bought in Priozersk.

Currently, attempts are being made to revive agriculture - reclamation work has begun to restore the soil on 50 hectares of arable land.

The dairy farm built in 1881, designed for 70 heads of cattle, has been returned to the monastery and is being actively restored. For its time, the farm was very well mechanized. Feed was delivered to the cows on rails laid in the middle of the barn. Each cow had its own drinking bowl, where water came directly from the lake through a special water pipe. The cellar where dairy products were stored was covered with double vaults, the space between which was clogged with ice. In the lower vault there were holes through which cold air descended into the cellar. A 32-meter railroad led from the cellar doors to the pier, and a crane was installed on the pier to load tubs of cottage cheese and butter onto boats. Currently, the farm fully provides the monastery with dairy products. At the entrance to the farm, there is a tasting tent for pilgrims, where everyone can taste the milk of Valaam cows.

The monks, as in the old days, breed fish: palia and whitefish, as well as a species new to Valaam - the American rainbow trout. Every year, the trout farm produces more than 50 tons of fish.

Walks in the sketes

The Valaam archipelago has about 50 islands. On the largest, occupying two thirds of the total area, is the Central Estate. On other islands there are sketes, which differ in the number of brethren (from two to several dozen people) and the severity of the charter. The skete is one of the three forms of monastic life. (the other two are cenobitic, as in the Central Estate, and hermit, which is not practiced in the monastery today). Nine sketes were revived on Valaam, of which I remember Smolensky the most. It was founded in 1917 in the name of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God with the money of Grand Duke Nikolai Romanov (uncle of the last Russian emperor). As planned, the brethren of the skete were supposed to commemorate all Russian soldiers, “who laid down their lives on the battlefield and died in the sea.”

We came to this skete when there was a service in the church, so the novice Gleb took us to the chapel. He said that the brethren, as originally planned, pray unceasingly for the soldiers. We have seen entire tomes listing the names of the dead on various battlefields. There were many wars in the 20th century - the First World War, the Civil War, the Great Patriotic War, the Afghan War, the Chechen War. And the monks pray day and night for the souls of the dead. The novice Gleb also told us about monastic life and, without waiting for our questions, miraculously guessed what we had only thought of asking him. Like what it's like to be a monk. I do not undertake to retell his words, but after that conversation the question ceased to torment me why people, especially young people, refuse worldly life and become monks. I only remember that at the end he said that Jesus is the light for the monk, and the monk is the light for the laity. Indeed, a very bright image of the novice Gleb remained in my memory.

Central cathedral of the monastery

The relics of St. Sergius and Herman the Wonderworkers of Valaam, the founders of the Valaam Monastery, are kept in the lower church of the main cathedral. Sergius and Herman came to these places from Byzantium and, perhaps, that is why the temple in their name is made in the Greek style. There are subdued lighting, vaulted ceilings. We were told that the original walls and ceiling were dark blue with golden stars. In the lower church there is more than one miraculous icon; the relics of the holy reverend elders are buried. Here, for example, the Valaam Icon of the Mother of God is kept (or rather, its exact copy; the original was taken to the New Valaam Monastery in Finland during the evacuation). The Mother of God is depicted in full growth, dressed in a bright red cloak. She appears as a pillar of fire connecting heaven and earth, in the center of which is Jesus. His right hand blesses, and in his left hand is an orb crowned with a cross. Many healings that took place through prayers before this icon allowed the monks of the monastery to collect materials to glorify it as miraculous. A holiday in her honor is celebrated on July 14.

Opposite the icon of the Valaam Mother of God is an oak reliquary with the relics of St. Antipas of Athos (Moldavansky). He, a native of Moldova, came to Valaam from Athos in 1865. The spiritual children of this elder were not only the inhabitants of the monastery, but also the laity, which was rare. He lived in a skete, closed from women, where a very strict rule was in force. Therefore, the Monk Antipas asked to be buried outside the skete, so that all spiritual children, including sisters, could come to him after his death. He bequeathed to them: "Come and talk to me as if I were alive, and I will help you."

A staircase leads from the lower to the upper temple, on both sides of which all Russian saints are depicted on the walls, decorously stepping one after another. This procession is amazing.

The upper temple, dedicated to the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, looks much more solemn than the lower one. It is made in the Russian style, sparkles with gold, painted with compositions of holidays, events sacred history, images of 130 saints. Services are held here only in the summer, because the temple is not heated. But even in summer it is cold to stand on a stone floor for a long time, and therefore many parishioners crowd around the perimeter, lined with a carpet.

Obedience - difficult and not very

There is a lot of work in the monastery. In the gardens, in the hotel for tourists, in the refectories, in the cafe on the pier. On the very first day of obedience, I disobeyed and instead of staying to help at the Mansarda Hotel on the Central Estate, I went to the Resurrection Skete instead of another worker. I really wanted to diversify my labor exploits and visit different places: today the Resurrection Skete, tomorrow the Central Estate. So I thought. But it turned out differently. As a result, I spent all the days in the Resurrection Skete, which I myself appointed as a place of obedience. I washed dishes and peeled vegetables in the kitchen, signed information stands with stencil letters, cleaned the church, consecrated in honor of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called. Monks do not live in the Resurrection Skete, it can be said to be administrative. Tour guides, employees of the pilgrimage service stop there, visiting icon painters have a meal. There I met people who go to Valaam every summer and live here sometimes for a week, sometimes for a month, and sometimes they stay for the winter until the next navigation. And they work there “For the Glory of God”.

And yet, why did we come?

Of course, everyone was looking for something different. I didn't really understand what my goal was. On Valaam, I saw a way of life that is strikingly different from the usual Moscow way of life. I saw people who are not at all like my acquaintances and friends. Who are not touched by things that drive residents crazy major cities. Who are in no hurry. Little is said. They hardly make eye contact. And they pray without ceasing. They do not seek fellowship with man, but they are talking to God all the time.

During the week that I spent in the monastery, I myself became calmer and quieter (how difficult it was after returning to catch the rhythm of the city again!). I also got answers to my questions. Even the ones I didn't ask out loud. In Moscow, some problems seemed unsolvable to me, but on Valaam they no longer seemed like problems. But the main reason I went (as it seems to me now) is a new circle of friends. I was looking for a community of people who are trying to be good Christians while living and working in big cities. And, thank you, Lord, I got to know them.

Valaam archipelago

Pilgrimage tour to Valaam is an opportunity not just to admire the beauties of the Valaam archipelago. It is also an opportunity to get away from the hustle and bustle, warm your soul, calm down, believe and hear the answers to your questions.

A beautiful island immersed in the forest is washed by picturesque bays, lakes and rivers. It's like in a fairy tale here! Blocks of granite, overgrown with moss, tall fir trees, forest glades bathed in the sun, the smell of flowers, thyme, fresh milk and honey. The fuss of a city dweller is taken away as if by hand, and at some point you realize that your entire inner state is filled with unusual peace and serenity.

Central estate of the Valaam Monastery

The entire Valaam archipelago consists of about 50 islands. Most large island occupies two thirds of the total area, and it is on it that the Central Estate is located. There is a village of the same name on the island, it is inhabited by laity, but the main attraction is a monument of Russian architecture, the male Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Savior, the main building of which can be seen from afar.

Hermitages are located all over the island - a special history of Valaam. The skete is like a secluded abode. Monks live in sketes, who have left not only worldly, but also monastic ways.

Typical Valaam monastic skete

How many of them there were before, even the monks will not say. To date, ten out of thirteen sketes have been restored. By the anniversary of the Baptism of Rus' in 2008, a new St. Vladimir was built.

In some sketes, lay pilgrims and tourists are welcomed with pleasure; in others, entry is strictly prohibited. Some sketes, where visitors can enter, can be reached by transport, others only on foot, and others only by water.

Not only believing pilgrims are interested in Valaam. This island is literally full of tourists.

You can only get to Wallam water transport along the Ladoga lake

How to get to Valaam

Wherever you start your journey to the island, whether it's a pilgrimage tour to Valaam or a tourist trip, you can get here only along Ladoga. In May-November, as soon as navigation opens, Valaam starts receiving visitors. This is enshrined in the Charter of the monastery.

Pilgrims and tourists on the pier Lake Ladoga

The pier is bustling and crowded. Trade is in full swing along the coast - there are souvenirs, and fragrant bags with juniper, herbs. You can enjoy smoked or dried fish, drink coffee with homemade cream, in general, life is in full swing. locals offer private tours motor boats on the nearest islands.

You can book a trip on a cruise ship (form below).

Such a trip for 3 days will cost you about 10,300 rubles. Therefore, it will be cheaper to get along Ladoga from the pier of Lake Ladoga in Priozersk. How to do it - . You can get to Priozersk by train from the Finland Station in St. Petersburg.

Just click the "Find Cruise" button.
Do not select departure and return dates in this form. Do this when the search results page opens, on which first select "Lake Ladoga", duration up to 4 nights, and then select the St. Petersburg - Valaam - St. Petersburg cruise on the right.

Book a hotel on Valaam

Just click the "Find" button.
Before that, you can choose the dates of arrival and departure. Remember that a trip to Valaam is available only from May to November.

How Valaam lives

The monastery complex itself is located on Mount Tabor. Gardens grow on the slopes of the mountain. Around the temple there are cells in which the monks live. There are refectories next to the temple. Monks, novices, laborers eat in one of them. In another, pilgrims and tourists are treated.

Once a day, the monks distribute monastic bread for free. There is a post office, a pilgrimage service where you can book a ticket for a boat. Very close to the complex was a hotel for tourists. In 2016, it burned down, so now, while it is being restored, tourists live in the cabins of the ship moored at the pier.

View of one of the islands of the Valaam archipelago

A staircase leads from the pier to the monastery, and paths and alleys leading to outbuildings and sketes are laid in all directions from the monastery. Bridges are laid across canals and bays.

Pilgrimage tours to Valaam, like tourist tours, are best done in the warm season. In the off-season, you can’t get there at all, because at such a time you can’t cross Ladoga by boat or drive on wheels.

This feature geographical location forced the monks to organize a strong economy, able to function completely autonomously.

Valaam Monastery in spring

The monastery has its own fleet of 7 ships. There is also a bakery, a dairy farm, a car park. The trout farm is well organized. More than 50 tons of fish are caught annually. Many industriously cultivated gardens. They can be observed directly from the territory of the monastery.

An hour walk to the dairy farm. Here you will be treated with fresh milk, cottage cheese and cheese. The cheese is prepared according to Italian technologies, but the special pride of the monks is Monastiko hard cheese, the monks invented it themselves.

Pier of the monastery on Ladoga

History of the Valaam Monastery

There are opinions that the history of this monastery begins in 960, but some historians believe that the Valaam Monastery was built when the island already belonged to Novgorod. And this is the end of the 13th - the beginning of the 14th centuries.

According to church tradition, the Valaam Monastery was founded by Saints Sergius and Herman, Greek priests who came to Velikiy Novgorod along with other Orthodox missionaries.

Now their relics rest in the lower church of the main cathedral. Miraculous icons and relics of other miraculous elders are also kept there.

The Valaam Monastery in its history has repeatedly acted as a fortress, subjected to raids by the Swedes. It was burned several times and completely destroyed. But Balaam was reborn again and became better and better.

And now all the sights of this amazing complex cannot be bypassed at once. Chapels, churches, commemorative crosses - and all this against the backdrop is amazing beautiful nature. Everything you see you want to contemplate, absorb, and enjoy, without haste and fuss.

Of course, the main attraction is the monastery complex itself. Inside the main temple there are no usual paintings, gilding and crystal, no pomposity. Its walls are simply painted white and carved wood is everywhere. Candles crackle in the twilight against the background of monastic chants.

The main temple of the monastery. The modest interior of the temple

Valaam is visited by thousands of pilgrims, just tourists, foreigners also come. Such trips are organized by travel agencies, pilgrimage services. You can also drive on your own.

Pilgrimage tours to Valaam can become not just contemplation of the shrine. Laymen who wish have the opportunity to live at the monastery, to work unselfishly for its good. One or two weeks, to choose from, a person is given the opportunity to retire, think, work on obedience.

Pilgrimage tour to Valaam- the most economical option than a tourist one. In addition, pilgrims have, although small, but still privileges over tourists. The hotels of the island are intended mainly for pilgrims, and tourists are accommodated on a boat. However, you can also live in tents.

Tourist parking on the island

The island is equipped with 6 tourist camps, fire pits are organized and there is always a supply of firewood. But hot summers do not happen often on the island, and even in such summers the air temperature does not exceed 20 degrees, and a storm on Ladoga is not uncommon.

It's worth coming. This is a different world, it beckons and fascinates. The land of Valaam fills anyone with energy and gives the soul the opportunity to rest.

Video. Spaso-Transfiguration Valaam Monastery

Map of the Valaam Monastery

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For all questions about organized tourist trips, you should contact it there. Service site http://vp.valaam.ru/. The desire to stay on the island for more than one day must also be coordinated with the pilgrimage service.

The most common way to get to Valaam is a tourist trip on a boat from St. Petersburg. This method is the most expensive of all existing, but at the same time the most comfortable and simple. The cost varies, the specific amount can be found on the website of the pilgrimage service or when ordering an excursion to Valaam. The prices include meals, the road on the ship, where you will be allocated a separate cabin, as well as excursion and entertainment.

There are also cheaper tours that do not provide accommodation in cabins and meals on board the ship. In most cases, the ship travels to, you spend the day on the island, and return back the next night. The cruise route to Valaam can be combined with visiting other places: the island of Kanevets, Svirstroy, on which Alexander-Svirsky is located, are sometimes included in the excursion program and others. Specify details when ordering a tour.

From St. Petersburg you can get to Valaam "Meteor". An organized trip includes an early morning departure, a stay on the island (approximately 8 hours) and a return trip. The one-way trip takes only 4 hours, but the conditions on the Meteor are not so comfortable. In addition, this is a rather noisy way of moving on water, so many people prefer a boat.

You can get not from St. Petersburg itself, but from the cities of the Leningrad region, located closer to Valaam, for example, from Priozersk. "Meteor" also goes from there, the journey takes about an hour.

Sources:

• Valaam pilgrim
• meteor on valam

The Valaam archipelago, located in the northern part of Ladoga Island, is more than 20 km away from the mainland and unites more than 50 islands. The largest of the islands of the archipelago is Valaam Island. The surrounding nature alone is enough to turn Valaam into a place of pilgrimage for thousands and thousands of tourists.

Instruction

One of the most comfortable and, as a result, the most expensive ways is a tourist cruise on a ship. The ship departs from St. Petersburg with the arrival directly on the island of Valaam. Additionally, you will need to take care of getting from Moscow to St. Petersburg, which in general is not a problem - you have at your disposal express trains, regular trains, bus routes departing from Moscow to St. Petersburg and back several times a day.

A boat trip usually takes a night on the way, a day on the island and another night on the way back. The fare includes accommodation in a cabin, meals, a number of excursion routes on the island and recreational activities on the boat.

A faster and more economical option is to travel on a water boat (as a light single-deck boat is called) in 1 day. Departure will be, as in the previous case, from St. Petersburg, here on the way you will spend 4 hours in each direction, and about 8 hours of free time will be left to get to know the island. The disadvantage of this trip option is the noise of the boat, which is very tiring for a four-hour voyage.

Another option for arriving tourists to Valaam is especially popular in the spring-autumn period, when standard trips from St. Petersburg have already been discontinued. In May, or you can get to Valaam from the city of Sortavala, where, for example, Oktyabrskaya leads from Moscow Railway. From St. Petersburg - No. 350 departs on odd numbers from the Ladonezhsky railway station. Electric train from northern capital goes to the village of Kuznechnoye, then to the city of Sortavala. Departure daily from the Finland Station at 16.32.

It is also possible to get to Sartovaly from Moscow or St. Petersburg by intercity bus or car, but such a journey is tiring due to the length (between St. Petersburg and the city is about 300 km), besides, the car will have to be left in the city for the entire duration of the walk along Valaam. In fairness, it must be said that there is a guarded and quite large parking lot near the pier.

From the city pier to the island can be reached by regular boat on Mondays and Fridays at 16.00 or 17.00. Travel time 2.5 hours. You can use the local excursion boat "Meteor", it runs almost every day, but without a clear schedule. Travel time 1 hour. Estimated cost is 700 rubles.

In Sortavala, you can also use the services of the yacht club, which is located near the well-known Piipun-Piha hotel in the city. Vessels depart from the city pier every two hours to Valaam, there are also small carriers, most of which work either through numerous agencies or independently, without, however, providing tourists with special guarantees of safety on the water.

A trip to "Northern Athos" can also be made from the city of Priozersk, Leningrad Region, which can be reached by train from the Finland Station - direction to Kuznechnoye - from the Devyatkino station or from the Severny bus station, Devyatkino metro station by bus number 859 .

You can get from Priozersk to Valaam only by water from the Valaam pier and only during the navigation season, which begins in May and ends in October. The cargo ship "Saint Nicholas" makes trips until the end of November, but officially does not take passengers.

The monastic republic also has a specialized pilgrimage service, which also organizes trips to the island. For example, you can fly to the monastery monastery with their help by helicopter. A one-day such tour will cost about three hundred thousand rubles, a two-day one - 450,000.

Sources:

• valam how to get

IN fresh waters Lake Ladoga is a rocky archipelago, consisting of a large group of granite and diabase islands. Unique in its beauty, the Valaam archipelago is considered to be the main attraction of Karelia.

Valaam - the harmony of nature and architecture

The Valaam archipelago is also called "Northern Athos". It represents a monastic empire, with a way of life, law, hierarchy preserved from ancient times. The landscape architecture of the island is in harmony with the pristine nature.

Among the sights of Valaam, which tourists should definitely visit, is the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery, where the beauty of Russian architecture is presented in an unusual combination of color and architecture. The top, the color of heavenly blue, harmoniously combines with the red bottom. A three-tiered bell tower completes the whole architectural composition.

Cells-sketes were spread all over the island, where hermit monks retired from the bustle of the world:
- All Saints (White) Skete. Located on Skitsky Island. It looks like a snow-white fortress with pointed towers;
- Ilyinsky. Made in the Russian style, reminiscent of a rustic frame;
- Nicholas the Wonderworker;
- John the Baptist;
- Konevsky;
- Abraham of Rostov. Restoration work is currently underway;
- Complex "Northern Jerusalem". Includes buildings of the Resurrection (Red) and Gethsemane (Yellow) sketes;
- Smolensky;
- St. Vladimir.

Znamenskaya (Royal) Chapel
The roof of the marble chapel is decorated with a medallion with a commemorative inscription stating that Emperor Alexander ΙΙ visited Valaam in 1858. On the left side of the road are the Spassky Gates leading to the internal buildings of the monastery.

Those wishing to make an additional excursion can visit the Igumen cemetery. You can go down to it by passing under the arched bell tower.

Mannerheim line
Those who are fond of military history can see the preserved fortifications, which are a whole complex.

Ascension Chapel
There is a lake south of the Gethsemane Skete. The right bank of Malaya Nikonovskaya Bay is decorated with a granite bow cross. At the very top, the Ascension Chapel with 5 chapters was erected.

The forest path will lead to the Konevsky lakes - Igumenskoye, Ossievo, Mustojarvi. On the monastery farm, located on the shore of about. Sisjarvi, tourists are offered treats here.

It is possible to make a water excursion along the river. Ladoga around the island.

Memo to the tourist

On the monastery territory, women must be in a skirt.

Only men are allowed in the White Skete (All Saints), the exception is the feast of All Saints.

It is forbidden to drink alcohol, smoking.

The cleanest air, the beauty of pristine nature, architecture will not leave anyone indifferent. Impressions from visiting Valaam will remain for a long time.

FAST-COMFORTABLE-REAL:
DAILY FROM JUNE TO AUGUST VALAAM FOR 1 DAY
BUS + MOTOR SHIP "METEOR"

TRIP DATES FOR 2019:

IN MAY: 17, 18, 19, 22 (Wed), 24, 25, 26, 29 (Wed), 31

JUNE - AUGUST: DAILY;

IN SEPTEMBER: 1, 4 (Wed), 6, 7, 8, 11 (Wed), 13, 14, 15, 18 (Wed), 20, 21, 22

When planning a trip it is necessary to have a sufficient reserve of time - at least 3 hours after the end of the program, as there may be delays due to force majeure circumstances - unfavorable weather conditions on Lake Ladoga (storm and its consequences, fog, etc.), traffic jams (“traffic jams”) on the roads and other unforeseen factors.

When visiting active temples and the territory of the inner square of the monastery, men should be without headdresses, women should have skirts and a headdress. It is not allowed to visit the monastery in sports and open clothes. When traveling, it is advisable to have comfortable shoes. The itinerary may be subject to minor changes. .

On the eve of the trip tourists receive an SMS - a message with the mobile phone number of the guide and the bus number. The guide is available to call no earlier than 07.30 am and no later than 08.00 am. The guide should only call emergency, for example, inform about the delay of tourists or the impossibility of making a trip.

Departure of the bus made without delay at 08.00. If tourists arrive at the meeting point of the group late, they are invited to catch up with the group by taxi, after asking the guide for the number, brand of bus, route, and the place of possible boarding the bus, or refuse to travel. Questions about compensation for the cost of the trip, if there are grounds, are resolved at the place of purchase of the voucher.

In the event of a storm on Lake Ladoga the trip is canceled in the morning before departure. All questions about the transfer of the trip to other dates, as well as the return of funds are resolved by calling the office during business hours at the place where the ticket was purchased.

You must bring your passport with you (for the child - a copy of the birth certificate).

Valaam is a piece of heaven on earth

Valaam Island- a secluded, stunningly beautiful place in Karelia. The majestic northern nature, in which the bright waters of Lake Ladoga and virgin dense forests, numerous bays and boulders covered with moss harmoniously intertwine, is an ideal refuge for those who are tired of the noise of city streets, the bustle of working days.

The object of pilgrimage on Valaam is Valaam Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery- a stauropegial monastery, that is, independent of the local diocese and subordinate directly to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. According to sacred tradition, Apostle Andrew the First-Called, who brought Christianity to the Slavic lands, blessed Valaam with a stone cross. The monastery was founded by St. Sergius and Herman of Valaam, whose relics are kept in the monastery today. Valaam is called northern Athos, which is no coincidence: the monastery lives according to the charter drawn up in the strictness of the Athos monastery, and its founders were monks from Athos.

Since ancient times, Valaam has been the Orthodox center of Northern Rus', where people came for advice and consolation, and among the inhabitants of the Ladoga region there was a custom according to which a young man, before marrying, had to gain physical hardening and spiritual strength, having lived a year in a monastery as a laborer. Today, Valaam is one of the most popular pilgrimage destinations among Russians, where you can enjoy the beauty of nature, feel the presence of a blessed spirit, find spiritual and bodily healing, find harmony and touch the antiquity of the Orthodox world.

The pilgrimage service "Sretenie" offers to make trips to Valaam, one-day and multi-day, organized daily. There are a lot of programs in our service, everyone will find the most preferable option for themselves. Almost all routes include worship in the Transfiguration Cathedral, tours of the estate and sketes, walks in protected areas. Also, for everyone there is an opportunity to spend a week or two in obedience in the monastery, in prayers, repentance and work for the good of the monastery. Each person sometimes needs a break in life, time devoted to self-knowledge, the search for spiritual foundations. Such a deep immersion in the monastic life, far from the temptations of civilization and endless secular fuss, gives a great spiritual experience. You will be able to better understand yourself, comprehend your soul, find harmony, be transformed and cleansed, return to your life renewed.

Balaam has gone through a difficult path from creation to the present, it was a field of endless struggle. The monastery was destroyed and ruined, but each time it was reborn again and again, like a phoenix from the ashes. The unbending and majestic monastery is a symbol of the steadfastness of faith and spirit. A trip to Valaam will be an excellent option for those who want to take a break from the daily routine and relax their souls against the backdrop of the soothing tranquility of the pristine beauty of nature and the pious life of the monastic brethren. Valaam is a land where everything glorifies God. Come and see for yourself!