Solovetsky Monastery, Orthodox monastery on Solovetsky Islands, Russia.
Solovetsky Monastery is a complex featuring massive stone walls, six fortress towers, and several church buildings on the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea. The kremlin yard spreads between the structures, connecting cathedrals with wooden domes and stone administrative buildings.
The complex was founded in 1436 on the remote islands and grew into a religious center of the Russian North. After the Revolution, the site was converted into a Soviet labor camp from 1923, operated until 1939.
The Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral hall shows elements of Pomor building craft through its whitewashed walls and clusters of domes covered in wooden scales. Visitors can see local icon painting that reflects a northern school of religious art.
Visitors reach the islands by boats departing from the mainland and running between May and October depending on weather conditions. Warm clothing is advisable as the Arctic location brings cool temperatures and changing conditions even in summer.
The monks engineered a network of canals connecting over 50 lakes, ensuring a stable water supply for the community. This hydraulic system powered a mill for centuries and regulated water distribution throughout the island group.
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