The islands of Valaam are situated in the Republic of Karelia in the Northern part of the Ladoga Lake. The status of a natural reserve was granted to the archipelago in 1999. In its many centuries' history dating back to the X-XI centuries the monastery created a magnificent landscape and architectural ensemble on the islands that gained world fame. In 1992, by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation the Valaam was declared to be the national heritage of Russia.
The history of the monastery is rich with events, but the main thing that attracts tourists is the nature of Valaam. It is so unique that in the XIX century the Valaam became a sort of school of landscape painting where graduates of St. Petersburg Arts Academy, such as I. Shishkin, A. Gine, F. Vasiliev, and others were working on their diploma projects. They came to Valaam many times and depicted its landscapes in their many paintings now presented in the collections of the most famous museums of the world.
The islands of Valaam are situated in the Republic of Karelia in the Northern part of the Ladoga Lake. The status of a natural reserve was granted to the archipelago in 1999. In its many centuries' history dating back to the X-XI centuries the monastery created a magnificent landscape and architectural ensemble on the islands that gained world fame. In 1992, by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation the Valaam was declared to be the national heritage of Russia.
