Valaam Island, Republic of Karelia Russia
Russian Orthodox
The church, seen on approach to the monastery, was built in 1853, replacing an earlier chapel and lighthouse. The 1902 decorations remain, but the icons have all been lost. Several monks now live in the skete. The ancient Monastery of Valaam was evacuated in 1940. Following decades of desolation, it was returned to the Orthodox Church in 1989, when six monks began to revive its monastic life.More information