Solovetsky Islands, Historic monastery archipelago in White Sea, Russia.
Solovetsky Islands form a group of six main landmasses in the White Sea, where stone buildings stand alongside dense woodlands and rocky coastlines. The grounds combine natural wilderness with granite and timber constructions built over centuries by monks and laborers.
Monks founded the monastery in the 15th century and built a fortified compound of stone over decades. Later, Soviet authorities turned the grounds into a labor camp, until the church returned after the collapse of the USSR.
The monastery grounds remain a place of worship and pilgrimage, where monks continue daily services inside chapels surrounded by thick walls. Visitors can watch restoration work on ancient frescoes and wooden structures that survive in the cold northern climate.
Visitors reach the archipelago by plane or ferry, depending on season and weather conditions in the White Sea. Warm clothing and sturdy footwear are helpful, as wind and cool temperatures can occur even in summer months.
One of the smaller islands holds stone labyrinths from prehistoric times, whose purpose scholars still cannot fully explain. Hikers find these spiral patterns near the shore, far from the religious buildings.
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