Solovetsky Islands
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Solovetsky Islands (Russian: Солове́цкие острова́), also known as Solovki, are a group of islands in the White Sea in the Onega Bay. The islands are administered by Arkhangelsk Oblast of Russia as Solovetsky District. Area: 347 km². Population: 968 (2002 Census); 1,317 (1989 Census).
This group of islands consists of six islands (most notable are Solovetsky, Anzersky, Bolshoy Muksalma, and Maly Muksalma). The shores of the islands are very indented. They are formed with granites and gneiss. The relief of the islands is hilly (the highest point is 107 m). Most of the Solovetsky Islands are covered with Scots Pine and Norway Spruce forests, which are partially swampy. There are numerous lakes on the islands, which are interconnected with canals. In the 15th century, one of the biggest monasteries—the Solovetsky Monastery—was founded on the Solovetsky Islands, attracting many tourists.
Shortly after the Russian Revolution, the monastery was turned into the Solovki Special Purpose Camp, a "seed" of Gulag, and then into a prison. Thousands of 'counter-revolutionary elements' died on the island, especially in the 1920s.
In 1974, the Solovetsky Islands became a historical and architectural museum and a natural reserve of the USSR.
Today, these islands are some of the most interesting places in the north of Russia, and attract many tourists. One can get to the islands either by ship from Kem or by plane from Arkhangelsk.
