Sights and excursions

Churches, chapels, houses, bath-houses, barns, threshing barns, wind and water mills, smithies and other buildings are gathered on this small island. Most of them have been moved to the island from various Karelian villages. They represent traditional building culture of our land and cover the period from the XIV century up to the present time.

In 1719 under the edict of Peter the Great the first Russian health resort — Martsialnye Vody- was founded. It was situated 50 km away from the modern town of Petrozavodsk. Many Russian high-ranking officials visited the resort. Peter the Great himself paid visits to the spa several times.

The nature reserve Kivach is situated 60 km away from the town of Petrozavodsk. The reserve was established in 1931. Not only is this spot one of the most picturesque corners of Karelian nature but it is also a place where you can meet various representatives of its flora and fauna.

Sheltozero village is the centre of the Vepsian national district. Vepsians belong to the Finno-Ugric family of languages. They were firstly mentioned as an independent people vasina in the 6th century A.D. The population of this nation has catastrophically dropped in recent times, there are only 8 thousand Vepsians left and half of them lives in Karelia. They are settled on the territory surrounded by the Ladoga and Onega Lakes and the White Sea.

The history of the Valaam Orthodox monastery of the Transfiguration of the Saviour has overpassed many centuries. In the 14th — 16th centuries the monastery ranked as the largest one in Europe.

The Alexander Svirsky complex is situated on the eastern shore of the Ladoga Lake, in the village Svirskoe. The foundation of the monastery is officially accepted to be the year of 1506 and the 500th anniversary of the cloister will be celebrated in 2006.

Nearly 1 500 objects from the remains of ancient sanctuaries and funeral complexes — the famous solovetskie «mazes», barrows, ridges, trilith-like constructions keep the mystery of beliefs and notions of the outward world reigning among the ancient inhabitants of Belomorje.

The Vodlozersky National park is the largest nature reserve park in Europe, its square amounting to nearly half a million hectares. The park is situated on the territory of Karelia and Arkhangelsk region.