Valaam Monastery - Step to the Skies - a documentary

Valaam Monastery – Step to the Skies – a documentary

Valaam Monastery – Step to the Skies

Valaam Monastery. Valamo Monastery. The heart of the Orthodox Church in Karelia and an outpost of Russia within the lands of the Finns. Mount Athos of the North – so was called this ancient monastic dwelling, which was founded a thousand years ago in the dawn of Christianity in Russia by Saints Sergius and German, the Valaam Miracle Workers. More than once did the Valaam Monastery see destruction and devastation, more than once did its monks die by the edge of the sword more than once were its holy churches engulfed in flames. But every time, the monastery recovered from its wounds, rose and flourished again.

For many years, Valamo Monastery was the head and heart of the Finnish Orthodox Church. Devastated and with many of the buildings in ruins at the end of the Continuation War, Valaamo was in that part of Finnish Karelia seized by the USSR at the end of WW2. For many years thereafter, Valamo Monastery was abandoned. With Finnish Karelia more or less irrevocably annexed to Russia and, short of a miracle, lost to Finland, Valamo Monastery returned to the Russian Othodox Church in late 19189 when, on December 14, 1989, four hieromonks and two novices set their feet upon the snow-covered shores of the Great Nikon Harbour, almost 50 years after the last monks had left the Cloister.

Since that date, the churches of Valaam have been slowly and progressively restored and the monastic life has been resumed. What follows is a documentary of monastic life at Valaam Monastery.

Valaam Monastery. Step to the Skies, 1/7 (English Subtitles)