Solovetsky Islands
Sacred ground. This morning with our guides in tow we made our way to Zayatsky Island in the Solovetsky Island group for a walk amongst the rock labyrinths. The cultural geologic forms were made some eight thousand years ago. The history of the islands and the nature of the rock forms are under debate, but it is known that at that time around Europe there was a warming in the Earth’s climate that allowed movement of humans into the White Sea to hunt along the islands for fish and marine mammals. Supposedly burial grounds were nearby but archaeological digs near the Peter the Great church have found nothing. The rock mazes have been overgrown with heath and heather but the small walls still are still visible and traceable.
During the late morning the ship was repositioned to Anzersky Island. The afternoon was filled with mixed weather and a great walk along a well-worn path to see the 17th century hermitage and hear the story of the correction camps built here under Stalin’s rule. The church was abandoned until the 1990’s and is now under reconstruction. The stone and alabaster walls are now being reworked to show it as it once was. One group made a long trek to see an even smaller church along a picturesque beach before making the walk back to the landing for our voyage north from the White Sea.
