Valaam archipelago, where the most popular not only among the pilgrims, but also among ordinary tourists Transfiguration monastery is located, can obtain legal status of specially protected areas, and then to get on it will be much harder.
Members of the Board of Trustees of the Savior-Transfiguration Valaam Monastery at the meeting held on Wednesday, September 16 at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, agreed on the need to give Valaam monastery a special protected status.
“We need to establish a working group involving experts from various levels for the identification of such status, which would in all respects be organized by the Church and could be supported by the State”, – said the patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Kirill, who led the meeting.
The patriarch said that today there are some problems in the Valaam associated with the large influx of both tourists and pilgrims. This unregulated trade, and unauthorized travel routes in the archipelago, and an excessively large number of ships in the bays around the islands, “not simply represent an environmental hazard, but also destroy the spiritual and cultural environment.” Annually Valaam archipelago attracts more than 140 thousand people during the summer navigation. Meanwhile, the scientists concluded, this figure should not exceed 90 thousand.
The Church’s position was supported by the head of the Republic of Karelia Sergey Katanandov. “We are for tourism, for the fact that tourists come to Valaam, and left money here, but not at the expense of Valaam” it is necessary “to stop the expansion and regulate the influx of tourists”.
He also informed on the continuation of the resettlement program for residents of the archipelago to the mainland, while emphasizing that “The people directly related to Valaam should remain at Valaam and share the view of the Church on the development of the monastery “.
Previously, the ROC has already tried to close Solovetsky Islands for visiting purposes, but the victory remained on the side of the tourists.
why you posted the pciture of Kizhi church ?This picture has nothing to do with Valaam.
Thanks Oleg for pointing this mistake , uploaded wrong image . Thanks again