The magical pull of Valaam

When the guides say that Valaam is tempting to return and give examples, you grin in disbelief. But then he starts dreaming...

In general, navigation to Valaam is completed by mid-October and starts only in May. Even guides who live on Valaam for six months say that as soon as nature turns to autumn, it becomes clearly clear that the elements are the main one here, and it is dangerous. And I really want to get to the mainland as quickly as possible.

First, about the practical side. The most common and cost-effective option for a tour to Valaam is from 4 thousand rubles, depending on the season and day of the week. This includes 2 nights on the ship and a day on Valaam, meals and excursions included. By the way, there is an unspoken target division - in St. Petersburg, weekend routes are called “drunk flights” among themselves - the ship is buzzing with young people. On weekdays, elderly couples and foreigners enjoy the views from the deck.

So the tour is universal and exciting for everyone. The mere fact that the ship departs from the gloomy St. Petersburg deck, and inside everything remains in the style of the 80s, from the traditions of table setting to the cabins and the evening entertainment program, stops time.

Now about the beautiful things. Night on the ship and you are in another world. Karelian nature, the solitude of the monasteries, the primacy of the elements - all this is beautiful and frightening. Despite the fact that Valaam is a very popular destination, it is very clear here that nature is treated very carefully and as guests; the proverb about a workshop where a person is the owner does not work. The person here is a diligent worker, because the monks perform such difficult obediences as, for example, gardening on rocks. Outwardly, everything looks quite organic, and only the guide’s story refreshes the picture of how much land the novice had to bring, how much effort to spend so that fruits atypical for the climate would grow here.

Of the 11 monasteries of the Valaam archipelago, the excursion passes through three, and even there they are not particularly happy to see tourists. Some monasteries are located on islands, the presence of which is hinted at by churches that island guests view with interest from the deck of the boat. Guests are allowed onto these islands only on major church holidays; some are inhabited by only a couple of hermits. And those monasteries through which the 7-kilometer walking tour passes are in no hurry to cordially open their doors.

And this flair of mystery, the history of shocks and destruction of the Valaam monastery, descriptions of the hermit’s torment of the abbot of Damascus - all this creates a unique flavor of the trip. At the end of the tour, sitting on a rubble near a dairy farm, drinking milk, you listen to the guide’s stories about how the monks left the island, having the right to choose rich parishes, but returned to Valaam, explaining this with some incomprehensible call.

After a day on Valaam, pilgrims set sail in the evening with a feeling of slight sadness, in the confidence that they will definitely be bored and with a clear feeling that this will not be their last trip here...