ORTHODOX CHURCH THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CHURCHES OF THE EASTERN AND WESTERN PATRIARITIES ICONS SACRAMENTS VALAMO MONASTERY ORTHODOX EASTER WORSHIP CHURCH BUILDING
HISTORY
This monastery of Valamo, which you now see in front of you, has been evacuated from the island of Ladoga since the outbreak of World War II. None of the original brotherhood is alive anymore, but the monastery has tried to preserve the old Valamo spiritual tradition here in the heart of Savo for new rivals.
The original Valamo the monastery was founded in the 12th or 14th century by monks Sergei and Herman Valamolaiset. (Valamo's story Yle Areena ) At that time, Valamo developed into a significant center of Russian spiritual life. The island was visited by Russian tsars and prominent representatives of culture and politics. Before the borders expired (1917 Russian Revolution) Orthodox in Karelia, Finland, made regular pilgrimages there. This monastery was almost self-sufficient. There were cultivated fields, forests, livestock, fishing, own bakery and different sectors workshop.
Together with the monks, the Finnish army transferred infinitely valuable icons and other valuables to Kannonkoski for safety, which became the first refuge for evacuees. The following summer, a suitable space was found for the monastery in Heinävesi, from which the New Valamo could be thought to develop. At present, the New Valamo has a brotherhood of about 10 people
The monastery of the New Valamo in its early days
THE CHURCH OF ALL SAINTS IN THE CASTLE OR THE OLD CHURCH
Before building a new church, the fraternity used as its church and dining area of the two a building made of interconnected cloth. Today, this Church of All Saints in Valamo, or the old church, is only open during the summer. Partly because of a lack of funds and because for a long time in the 1940s it was hoped and believed that one day a return to the Old Foundry would be possible, to build a new church building. Moreover, on several occasions later, the future of the entire monastery was at stake. At times, it was even believed that the whole life of the monastery would wither. There were too few new entrants.
Church iconostasis icons are from the Old Foundry
The Church of All Saints in Valamo, or the Old Church.
MUNKIN KELJA FROM THE '50S
At the back of the church is a side room originally intended as a wooden shed. Today, the monk's sleigh (living room) is decorated there in the same way as the sleighs were in Valamo in the 1950s.
Room status and the interior is very modest. All amenities are missing. However, the purpose of the room was to give the monk privacy during rest, prayer, and reading.
Monk's sled from the 50's
WHY SOMEONE WANTS FOR WORK?
The small book, Pilgrim's Lighthouse, edited by Bishop Arsen, gives the following answer: "The struggle for existence in the world and in society does not satisfy everyone. that religious-ethical needs overcome worldly and temporal interests.
Before being ordained a monk, there is a probationary period, during which the candidate is called an obedience brother. After this period he can be ordained as a cloister, only this stage is followed by consecration as a monk. It is important that the candidate has a real vocation to monastic life. If he has some special skills, he wants a monastery encourage him in them and he can take advantage of the monastery with them.
Valamo Monastery follows the monastery rule based on cohabitation. For this reason, those who come to the monastery are also required to have the ability to get along with other members of the fraternity.
Today, the monastery brothers live in modern apartments resembling small studios. the houses are located a little further from the monastery center, the Modern monk has access to a computer and a mobile phone, but still he is a competitor who follows three old monastic rules: obedience (to God and igumen), poverty, unmarriedness.
New sledges have been built out of reach of visiting tourists.
TOURISM - A NEW SOURCE OF INCOME
First, the monastic community tried to apply the same tradition of an agricultural monastery in Papinniemi, Heinävesi, as it had been in Valato in Ladoga, but it was found to be impossible because the monastery brothers were getting older, there were few newcomers. Gradually, farming had to be stopped and the fields rented out.
Even the Lutherans began to wake up interest orthodox monastery and they began to make study visits there. It was noticed in the monastery that tourism could become a significant source of income for the monastery and so on moved into the tourism industry in the 1960s and 1970s.
Former monk dwellings are being emptied, but tourist interest in the monastery has increased. The monks' apartments were converted into guest houses for tourists. A new hotel and reception center were also built in the area. The former barn was renovated into a restaurant.
Traditionally, the farm had berry bushes. Now they have been added and the monastery has begun making berry wines by tourists happy to buy a convent home.
THE CHURCH OF THE GLORIFICATION OF CHRIST
The monastery received support to build a new church from the Finnish state, but, also from the many friendship clubs of the monastery that exist all over Finland (Friends of Valamon) Archbishop Paul's long-standing wish came true and he was consecrated to use the church in 1977. At the same time, the monastery moved to use the Gregorian calendar, and Finnish was replaced by Finnish as the language of worship. The monastery of the monastery Sinforia, who was still a monk of the old Valamo, had time to be in the new church to perform services.
The iconostasis of the Church of the Transfiguration of Christ in Valamo (Valamo main church)
The iconostasis was renewed in 2010 and it represents the Old Russian style popular in the 19th century. The sacred gate in the middle of the iconostasis and the icons in the bottom row come from the Old Foundry. The icons of the great celebrations of the church year on the second floor of the iconostasis, as well as the archangels of the side doors and the top intercessory group (desis), are new. In front of the iconostasis on the left is a semi-miraculous icon of the Saints Sergei and Herman Valamolainen and the Mother of God Valamolainen. In the corresponding section on the right is the iconic Konevitsala miracle. A miraculous icon in the Orthodox Church means that many people believe they have received help for their prayers after praying in front of such an icon. Valamo's most famous miraculous icon is the icon of Our Lady of Konevits. It is also the oldest icon of the Finnish Orthodox Church. Arseni Konevitsala is traditionally believed to have brought it from Mount Athos in Greece in the 14th century.
CHURCH OF SACRED SERGEI AND HERMAN VALAMOLIS (WINTER CHURCH)
During the winter, when there are no tourists or pilgrims in the monastery in the same numbers as in the summer, services are held in the heated winter church. The church is consecrated in memory of the relocation of the relics of Sergei and Herman Valamo. The iconostasis of the church is special in that it is closed. The icons in iconostasis come from different eras. The large metal container with the foot on the right is a baptismal font used in an Orthodox church, into which the child is immersed three times during the baptismal service.
SAINT NIKOLAOS TSASOUNA OF THE MIRACLER
Tsasouna, or a small prayer room, was completed on the monastery's marina 1987, dedicated to Archbishop Nikolaos of the Myrrh of Lycia (present-day Turkey), considered a miracle worker, protector of sailors, fishermen and travelers
Tsasounan was built in Vamo by Niilo Jokiniemi, a carpenter who originally worked as a helper from Salmi. The icons were painted by Tampere-based Maila Mäkinen.
Tsasouna is intended as a place of silence for people visiting the monastery. Guests can pick up the key at the hotel reception.
The monastery cemetery was founded in the 40s and so far two hundred people have been buried there. The monks and igumens of the monastery, a few archbishops of the Orthodox Church consecrated as monks, such as Archbishop Paavali, the nuns of the nearby Orthodox population and a few cultural figures: Pentti Saarikoski, Elina and Pentti Karjalainen and Erkki Salmenara, have found their resting place here.
Orthodox cemeteries are not treated in the same way as Lutherans. They are left as a kind of quiet nature parks. This belongs to the Karelian Orthodox tradition, as well as small gabled log structures, grobes. The graves may also have a bench for visitors.
Saint Herman Alaskalainen was a monk of Old Valamo who lived in the late 18th century. He had been sent along with seven other monks to do missionary work in Alaska among the Aleutians. After many unfortunate incidents, only Herman survived the mission.
MONASTERY CEMETERY AND
HOLY HERMAN
THE ALASCAL TSASOUNA
VALAMO LIBRARY AND CULTURAL CENTER
Efforts were made to evacuate the Valamo Library in Ladoga, and the New Valamo Library continues its traditions. The library has the largest collection of Russian Orthodox literature in Western Europe, about 20,000 volumes. The library has acquired more than 30,000 volumes of new collections over the years. The library serves its own fraternity, college, scholars and guests of the monastery.
VALAMO ARCHIVE
The earliest copies of the archive's documents date from 1750. The documents include historical information, reports on the monastery's economic and construction activities, letters and various documents. Of particular interest are the letters from the instructor elderly and penitentiary fathers of Valamo in Ladoga.
VALAMO AS AN ORTHODOX CULTURAL CENTER
VALAMO PEOPLE'S COLLEGE
Valamo Folk High School was founded in 1986. Its purpose is to give non-Orthodox the opportunity to develop themselves in a versatile, beautiful, unhurried environment. The course is available from handicrafts to varied spiritual and spiritual teachings.
You can get acquainted with the course offer the Internet through
Hariton 1940-1947 Jeronim 1948-1952, Nestor 1952-1967, Simforian 1969-1979, Panteleimon 1979-1997, Sergei 1997-
HISTORICAL EXHIBITION
The exhibition features, for example, portraits of all the new Valamo igumens
Subject: Edited by Bishop Arsen: Pilgrim's Valamo, Valamo Monastery publications 2013