Solovetsky Islands

The Solovetsky Islands (Solovki) are an archipelago situated north of St. Petersburg. There are about 100 islands, inhabited by only 1400 people. Greater Solovetsky Island is the biggest, on which the famous medieval monastery and Kremlin is built. Its beginnings as a religious center date to the mid 15th century: in 1436 the monastery was founded.

It was included because it's "an outstanding example of a monastic settlement in the inhospitable environment of northern Europe which admirably illustrates the faith, tenacity, and enterprise of late medieval religious communities."

There's a whole other side to this place too: in 1920 Solovetsky Camp became the first Soviet concentration camp, on the grounds of a former monastery. People persecuted by the Soviet government were sent here, and it became a model for the gulag system that later spanned the country.


Prison . Sieges .

Reviews

Prof. Dr. Alexey V. Lebedev (Russia):
New web-site "Solovki-UNESCO On-line" - http://solovki.museum.ru/default_eng.asp
Welcome!
 
Alexey Lebedev (Russia):
Solovky links (Russian only, but you can see many images):

The official site of Solovetsky Museum-Reserve - http://www.solovky.ru

Virtual Solovky (amateur site) - http://www.solovki.net

Solovetsky Islands all about (site for tourists) - http://www.solovki.ru
 


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