The Russian north still keeps imprints of ancient foundations and traditions in its buildings. In this article we will consider with you some historical and cultural monuments of Karelia. It is not only interesting, but also informative.
Briefly about Karelia
The Republic of Karelia, whose historical and cultural monuments attract hundreds of thousands of tourists annually, is one of the most popular places for study and leisure.
This territory is located in the north-west of Russia and is popular not only for its nature, but also for architectural complexes, monasteries and other wonders of the original northern culture.
Next, we are going to get acquainted with three interesting island museums. In addition, we will visit some remarkable places in the capital of the Republic - the city of Petrozavodsk.
Balaam
The Russian north has always impressed with its originality. Monuments of history and culture of Karelia are mainly represented by architectural complexes. One of them is located on the islands of the Valaam archipelago.
The first thing that attracts and fascinates this land is nature. It is not for nothing that the local landscapes are immortalized in the works of graduates of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. Among them are such famous authors as Shishkin, Ginet, Vasiliev and others.
In the tenth century, Orthodox monks began to settle on these islands. Gradually, a whole complex of stunning architecture was created. This ensemble impresses with its severe grace and is thoroughly saturated with the true “Russian spirit”.
The local buildings were destroyed several times. The Swedes were the first to burn them at the beginning of the 17th century. After, in the middle of the 18th, they were also destroyed by fire. But this did not affect the local life. Hardworking monks restored everything, and today the monasteries do not cease to amaze tourists and pilgrims.
Suffice it to say that in the middle of the 19th century, watermelons without greenhouses were grown on the Valaam archipelago. This is provided that the landscape of the islands consists mainly of stones and rocks. The monks managed to create a layer of fertile soil here, simply transporting little land from the mainland.
The basis of the architectural ensemble are: Transfiguration Cathedral with extensions, the Church of Peter and Paul, the Church of the Assumption and the Life-Giving Trinity.
In addition, in the 19th century, an economic courtyard was created, in which there are hotels, fish and dairy farms, and water supply.
Kizhi
Mentioning the historical and cultural monuments of Karelia, we cannot miss this State Historical, Architectural and Ethnographic Museum-Reserve. On the Kizhi Islands today is a world historical heritage - an ensemble of wooden architecture.
In addition to sacred buildings, there are also residential villages. And from the middle of the 20th century, wooden houses that are of historical value began to be brought to these islands. Now on Kizhi is one of the largest open-air museums in Russia.
Its exhibits illustrate the culture, history, traditions and crafts of all Karelia. In particular, here you can find household items of Russian, Karelian and Vepsian industries, which are more than three hundred years old.
At the beginning of the 18th century, the Transfiguration Church was built here, on which twenty-two domes were erected. Moreover, donations for its construction were collected with the help of local residents. She had no wealthy patrons.
Later, to complement the ensemble, a cathedral and a bell tower were built. It is believed that this complex displays the Universe in its composition.
On the territory of the reserve there are more than seventy structures, fifty thousand icons, more than 30 thousand ethnographic exhibits. It is noteworthy that the island seems to be protected from above. Over the past two and a half centuries, when revolutions and wars were booming over the country, he did not undergo a single attack. Even the Finnish pilot, who was given the task of bombing the area, did not follow the order, because he was struck by the beauty of the buildings.
Solovetsky Islands
It should be noted that our next attraction belongs to the Arkhangelsk region. And it got to the monuments of history and culture of Karelia only due to its location. The islands of Valaam, Kizhi, Solovki are all together completed composition.
These islands are famous not only for their church buildings. There was a special camp, as well as a prison, a school of Jung. The fortress, built back in the 16th century, withstood several sieges of foreign armadas, in particular the Swedish fleet.
On the territory of the reserve is a wonderful birch. A tree on which two branches grew on opposite sides of the trunk at a right angle. In fact, it turned out to be a cross that formed naturally. The monks say that it was the Lord who erected it in memory of all the martyrs. It is noteworthy that this happened when the state prohibited the manifestation of religious zeal.
The archipelago consists of several islands, such as the Big Zayatsky and Small Zayatsky, Anzersky, Muksalma and others. In addition to the monastery, on them are deserts, and hermitages. Since 1992, this entire architectural complex has been under the protection of UNESCO.
Churches of Karelia
When discussing the monuments of the Republic of Karelia, it is especially worth stopping at its churches, monasteries and temples. When you visit any of these monasteries, it seems that there is contact with the very essence of Russian Orthodoxy.
Earlier, we briefly reviewed the stunning complexes on the Solovetsky Islands, Valaam and Kizhi. Despite the fact that it is impossible to surpass these monuments in historical and cultural value, many places that are worthy of attention remained unlit.
First of all, these are churches and chapels in the villages and islands of this blessed land. For example, buildings in Olonets, Kemi, Povenets, Vygozero and other places.
Discussing the monuments of Karelia (some photos are given in the article), it is impossible to ignore the capital of the republic - Petrozavodsk. This will be the next stop of our little excursion.
Museum of Fine Arts in Petrozavodsk
It was founded in 1960 in the building of the former male gymnasium. Today its exposition totals about 12 thousand objects, and in the library fund - more than 17 thousand documents.
Here are exhibited samples of Karelian icon painting and art, as well as exhibits of Russian art from the 18th century to the present day.
In the cool rooms of this museum you can see the icons of the masters of Segozerye, Zaonezhye and Olonets Krai, which make up special style groups. The exhibition of arts and crafts includes a national costume, utensils, carvings and engravings on copper and birch bark.
National Museum
This institution was founded in 1871 and is located in the former governor's house. In fact, the museum is a local history museum.
The expositions of representatives of the flora and fauna of Karelia, archaeological finds, as well as specimens reflecting the history of the Republic are presented here.
You will see mysterious petroglyphs and utensils from the Oleneostrovsky burial ground. In the historical departments you can find out what process the Petrovskaya Sloboda went through to become Petrozavodsk. There is also a large hall dedicated to the past of the capital of the Republic, which is famous not only for its industry and museums.
Further we will consider some monuments of Petrozavodsk. It is impossible to describe all of them, we will touch on the most popular.
Monuments and commemorative signs of Petrozavodsk
One of the most famous is the monument to Peter 1 in Petrozavodsk. It was built in 1872–1873 to mark the 200th anniversary of the emperor. The monument perpetuates the merits of the autocrat before this land. If it weren’t for Peter's decision to start shipbuilding here, who knows what Karelia would be today.
The following should be mentioned the monument to Lenin in Petrozavodsk. He has an interesting story. In 1930, architects Manizer and Ilyin created it on the orders of the Karprofsovet. 14 granite blocks mined by Gulag prisoners from Goltsy Island were delivered to the building. During the occupation (1941–1944), Finnish soldiers dismantled the monument and put its parts aside. In its place was put a howitzer.
But after the victory in 1945, the monument was restored, and restoration was carried out by the same Manizer.
In addition to these two significant monuments, there are still a lot of historical values in Petrozavodsk.
