"Accidents are not accidental" (c)
Nothing just happens in our life - I was convinced of this once again.
I don’t want to say high-flown words, but at that moment I needed to completely change the situation, so that I could think about my own, about what is happening in my life and make some decisions.
In another telephone conversation "about nothing" my friend mentioned her friend, who regularly travels as a volunteer to Valaam. And it clicked in my head - that's it! What I need. I read reviews, collected information and became even more solid in my opinion.
I would like to note that it is not very easy to get to Valaam as a volunteer, those who wish to fill out applications from February-March, but apparently, the stars were very supportive of me - the next arrival began, and there was a shortage of volunteers at the Valaam farm. I quickly filled out a questionnaire and sent a request, after a couple of hours I received a positive response. But the fact is that for the entire period of arrival, I could not go because of work, which I warned the organizer about and asked about the opportunity to go only for 10 days. And here, too, they met me half-way, but the shortage on the farm also played a role. Now, after having lived there for 10 days, I do not understand why the volunteers rushed to the fields and gardens of Valaam and did not really want to go to the farm, but more on that below.
So, a little bureaucracy and facts:
Volunteers are provided with a transfer from Priozersk (Leningrad Region) to Valaam on the monastery ship "St. Nicholas", accommodation and meals. The daily routine is absolutely sparing - 8.30 - breakfast, from 9.00 to 13.00 - obedience (this is the name of any work on the territory of the monastery), from 13.00 to 14.00 - lunch, from 14.00 to 18.00 - obedience and then free time. On Saturday obedience until 12.00, Sunday - day off.
Headscarves and skirts below the knee are required for women (can be worn on jeans)
Drinking alcohol is strictly prohibited, smoking is not encouraged, but there are specially equipped smoking areas. There is only one shop on the island, with a rather meager assortment and horse prices (bananas - 100 rubles, apples - 190, for example).
And also special excursions are conducted for volunteers (for example, to the Ilyinsky skete on the Lembos island, which cannot be reached as part of a tourist group)
Friday came, the day of my departure, I arrived in Priozersk. The ship was already at the dock, loading all kinds of supplies for the needs of the monastery.
This, of course, is not a comfortable ship, but all the more interesting. Provided that the wave is not very strong, walk along Ladoga to Valaam for 4 hours. It is possible to hide from the rain only in the hold on the bow of the ship, with an area of ten square meters with wooden benches - "Titanic", 3rd class))) And so, the deck is open, but if there is no rain, everything is mostly at the top, because not everyone day there is an opportunity to contemplate the endless Ladoga like this: 
On "Meteora", due to the speed of movement, a completely different impression of the views, but here you slowly walk along the waves and have time to see all the beauty:
They recommended taking Dramina with me, but I don't have seasickness, but some of them got seasick, there was a light storm on one part of Ladoga.
And so, four hours have passed, we come to the monastery bay and we are met by the Nikolsky skete:
And just on the way to Valaam, we pass along the Svetly Island, where the Chapel of the Valaam Icon of the Mother of God is installed. And this island is also notable for the fact that peacocks live on it)
Monastery pier:
Unfortunately, I did not take a photo of the meeting itself, this is a special spirit and mood when you are met by absolutely strangers with a smile and clapping.
I was met by the wonderful Olya, the deputy father of Agapia, the head of the farm. She was in charge of everything related to the cheese dairy and the farm shop. She took me to my place of residence, briefly outlined further actions and handed me over to my neighbors and colleagues.
On the living conditions: those volunteers who worked in the fields and territory of the monastery lived in the so-called Work House: 
We, farm volunteers, lived in a two-room apartment in a cozy house overlooking the Transfiguration Cathedral:
The corridor in the front door is, of course, impressive (there is only stove heating on Valaam):
But the conditions in the apartment are excellent. Father Agapiy cares about his volunteers in deeds, not in words. Equipped kitchen with all appliances, including a washing machine, shower and toilet with all the necessary household items.
Each room has four beds, a table, chairs, bedside tables and a wardrobe. Those. no tent conditions. For comparison, in the Work House the volunteers had a shared shower on the floor and according to the schedule, rooms for 6-8 people and no kitchen.
Directly about the work:
At 9 am, all the volunteers gathered outside the Workhouse and were assigned work. Someone was sent to distant monasteries to work in vegetable gardens, someone was to put in order the territory of the monastery, someone to help in the refectory. We always had one route - to the farm) Here on such a colorful car:
Valaam farm:
So what should a volunteer do on a farm? Cheese heads were brought to us from basement storages, which we had to clean, cut, pack and pack. In addition, Ricotta was monitored so that all the whey was glass before packing, kefir and sour cream were poured and packed.
Sterility in the cheese dairy is ideal, everything is washed every 30 minutes, this is monitored by the monk cheese makers. I will deviate from the topic - when the idea of cheese making on Valaam arose, the monks were sent to study in Italy. And they are still being sent so that the process can be improved.
This is how the cheeses look in the basement and after cleaning - on the ceirt:
Ricotta:
The head of the farm is father Agapius, the sun-man:
Cheese makers:
It was hard on the first day, my legs and back were buzzing out of habit, and then I got only pleasure from work, I say without cunning.
I will continue about sterility - you will be on Valaam, buy farm products without fear. I have not seen such an OTK. The slightest crack on the head of the cheese is immediately defective, although this does not in any way affect the taste and quality. Almost in the center, they stuck a sticker on a jar of sour cream - the jar is married, everything should be perfect.
A sticker with a corporate logo is glued to all products: 
The farm produces the following products:
Milk, kefir, sour cream, Ricotta, cottage cheese and cheeses. Caciotta is the youngest cheese, tender, creamy, with a crispy crust. Monastic - 6 months of aging, moderately firm, moderately salty, ideal for a sandwich. And Monastico is 9 months old - hard cheese, a relative of Parmesan cheese. Cheeses are divine, when you cut your head - a bright aroma of cream.
In general, the products are beyond praise - in ordinary life I do not drink milk, I only use coffee and porridge. Here I drank at least a liter a day. Kefir is as thick as Greek yogurt with a fat content of 1.5%. Sour cream is like butter. Delicate, hearty cottage cheese.
Every day the volunteers were given a full set of products with them - these were the best breakfasts in my life. Coffee with milk, which tastes better than store-bought cream, cottage cheese with sour cream and grated black currant, and then more cheeserrr!
It was easy to work, there was absolutely no pressure or obligation.
Now about free time. All the same, on the farm, the schedule was a bit floating - we could be asked to stay, but the next day they were released earlier.
Arriving home, we went to the refectory and, depending on desire and circumstances, went for a walk together or alone.
About food. A meal on Valaam is a holy time, no matter what. The diet does not shine with variety, but it is tasty - mind to eat. Simple Russian cuisine, but all natural products. Breakfast in the refectory is porridge, but we, the farm volunteers, had breakfast in our apartment with cottage cheese and cheese) Lunch is soup, second, fresh salad and compote. Soups - pea, borsch, lentil, fish soup. The second is a few side dishes, its own stew (marbled beef and ribeye is resting), stewed squid, vegetable gravy, vinaigrette. Considering that the monastery has its own trout farm, on the table we regularly had trout in cream, either baked on a wire rack or slightly salted. My bread is simply unreal, I stuffed my pockets with it, because I didn't eat anything tastier, you can eat a loaf at a time.
Not once in 10 days did I want a hamburger, or sushi, or a chocolate bar. Only food from the refectory and seeds)
After dinner, I went for a walk around the neighborhood and hermitages. Some photos:
The most amazing excursion is to the Ladoga islands, where remote hermitages are located. I cannot call myself a deeply religious person, but when we were brought to the Ilyinsky skete, I felt what is called the grandiloquent word "grace". Never in my life have I experienced such peace and tranquility. This is truly a magical and prayerful place:
The complete opposite is the Holy Island, where the tomb and cave of Alexander Svirsky is located. A harsh, prickly, inhospitable place. This feeling, in my opinion, comes from the history of this island, where Alexander Svirsky arrived, built a cave in the rocks and prayed there almost around the clock:
And one more excursion was to the Vladimirsky skete (the same one where the residence of the late Patriarch Alexy and VVP is located). We were strictly forbidden to photograph the residence, so only the skete itself:
And this is my personal trip to the Nikolsky skete:
Now about the impressions:
This is an extraordinary relaxation. I didn’t think about anything, about the situation in my life, or about the events in the country, I didn’t read Gossip and Baginya, I didn’t go to Contact. I was and, most importantly, LIVED there. You can talk about these impressions endlessly, but only those who lived there will understand this. I was fully happy when, after working on the farm, throwing my backpack over my shoulders, I walked around the neighborhood and hermitages.
I repeat, I am not a deeply religious person, but here the very place adjusts you in the right way, all these days were unusually bright.
I cannot say that after this trip my life turned upside down, but something changed in me, I found answers to some questions. I became calmer and some little things that used to bring me to tears are now perceived with a smile.
And most importantly, I will return there literally in a month and a half. After all, as the head of the Priozersky pier said, when we arrived from Valaam, well, everyone got an injection from Valaam, got hooked? Yes, I'm hooked. And how can you not return to such sunsets? 
P.S. The photo is partly mine, partly from Google.
The life of volunteers in the ancient Orthodox monastery is incomparable either with tourism or with pilgrimage. This is not only active economic activity in the bosom of nature, touching shrines and history. A meeting with Balaam is a meeting with oneself.
Full description
Who needs
Man
Female
18 - 70 years old
Knowledge of languages
Additional Information
We invite men and women over 18 years old, without bad habits and addictions, healthy enough to engage in agricultural work, to participate in the "Volunteer to Valaam Island" program.
What to do
Housekeeping
Decorating
Gardening
Cooking
Agriculture
Number of working hours
33 per week
Number of days off per week
Additional Information
Daily routine: 8.30 breakfast (no breakfast on Sundays, holidays) 9.00 - 12.30 go to obedience 12.30 - 14.00 lunch and rest 14.00 - 18.00 go to obedience 18.30 dinner, free time From Monday to Friday - full working days throughout the monastery. On Saturday work only until lunchtime. Sundays and Great Holidays are days off. The daily routine may vary depending on the weather (in heavy rain, no work is carried out in the fields, and during haymaking and urgent obediences, the working day may be extended or added).
Conditions
Lodging
Bed
Nutrition
Full board
Volunteer contributions
Remuneration for labor
More about conditions
Each volunteer independently and at his own expense travels to the monastery pier in the city of Priozersk. And at his own expense he makes the way from Priozersk to the house. Participants of the program are provided with a free passage across Ladoga from the city of Priozersk to Valaam and back on a monastery ship; three meals a day (lean and fast - at choice); accommodation in the dormitories of the monastery; excursions within the program.
Additional terms
Can students
For adults only
Additional Information
On the territory of the monastery, women must definitely wear tight (not transparent) skirts below the knees (it is possible over trousers) and hats (scarf, scarf, hat, cap); deep neckline, open shoulders are not allowed. It is convenient to have several skirts: for the temple, several changeable for work. Men must cover their torso and wear trousers with legs below the knee. The use of alcohol and drugs during their stay on Valaam is strictly prohibited for all program participants.
Our today's story will focus on the famous island of Valaam, on which a huge number of cultural and spiritual values are concentrated. For many centuries the archipelago has been the center of Orthodoxy and gathers pilgrims from all over the world. Here is located the most famous monument of Russian architecture - the Valaam stavropegic monastery, as well as many churches and chapels that sometimes adorn the most remote islands of the archipelago. Even to a person far from religion, these places will seem attractive. The nature of the Russian North and the beauty of Lake Ladoga have always attracted tourists and creative people, artists who want to reflect the beauty of Valaam in their works.
Modern Valaam is also a huge center of pilgrimage and tourism. Travel agency websites are full of advertisements for travel to holy places. However, not many people know that there is a practice of volunteering on Valaam, which allows for a while to become a part of this curious place in all respects.
SMALL MIRACLE
The hero of today's story is Kristina Chernozemtseva, an employee of the department of religious education and catechesis of the Rzhev diocese, who shared with Rzhevskie novosti the story of her stay on Valaam as a volunteer.
- Balaam attracted me for a long time, even when I studied at Tver University, says Christina. - I learned that you can go to Valaam as a guide, for which you need to master special courses that take place in St. Petersburg. I didn’t get to the courses, but it’s for the best, there is quite specific work - responsible and difficult. But a few years later, through the Internet, I learned that volunteers were being recruited to Valaam. It was mid-March. When I began to fill out the questionnaire, I was surprised that there were almost no places left ...
The site read: nine races, three weeks each, from May to early November. And in six out of nine there were no longer women's seats.
It is worth describing a case that Christina herself describes as a miracle. Most willingly, they let go of work in June, which was just listed as free for volunteering on Valaam, but the application was refused, it turned out that this race had already been formed. I had to make a second attempt, having already chosen three weeks of September. A week later, the answer came that she was enrolled in the race from ... August 16 to September 6! One could only dream of this arrival - it was at this time that the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord fell, and on Valaam the main cathedral of the island, the Transfiguration of the Savior, was consecrated in honor of this event - that is, on the island it is a double great patronal feast. And also this race was the 25th anniversary of Christina.
VOLUNTEERS AND EMPLOYEES
You can get to the island in four ways: as a tourist, as a pilgrim, as a worker and as a volunteer. The first two options are essentially guest options. Everything is more or less clear here: I came, looked at what was interesting, paid tribute to the holy places and left. The other two options involve immersing yourself in the life of the island's inhabitants. A worker is the deepest immersion in the life of Balaam, which imposes a large number of responsibilities. First, the workers must be Orthodox; secondly, in addition to work, it is also necessary to attend services, to participate in the life of the monastery. In the case of a volunteer, everything is easier. Religion here is not of decisive importance, and attending services and meetings with monks is optional. But the responsibilities of both those and others include the performance of certain work on the island. On the other hand, this is a kind of outdoor activity. Meals, accommodation and delivery to the place on the monastery boat from the pier in Priozersk to Valaam and back are provided to volunteers free of charge.
Christina's group consisted of about 40 people of different ages. The elders are over 60 years old. There were two Spanish women and one German. The next race, by the way, is generally international: representatives of Serbia, Spain, France, Germany.
Foreigners found a way to get to Valaam through some kind of volunteer organization. But since not everyone understands Russian well, through the same organization (Christina did not specify the name) they found a volunteer girl who would translate for them. She turned out to be not a religious person and until recently did not understand why she was going there? But in the end, after the group left, the girl stayed for another week. Christina says that she did not see any disgruntled people there. There is a joke among the volunteers: there is such a disease "Valaamka" - a desire to come back here again.
The daily routine for volunteers on Valaam is something like this. In the morning, at 8.30 am, breakfast. Then, at 9.00, the so-called "divorce": the leader comes and gives out assignments (here they are called "obedience"). According to the tasks received, everyone works until lunchtime, until 13 o'clock, then work again. In total, it takes 6 hours a day to complete obediences.
- If someone told me that I would weed the beds for 6 hours, - says Christina, - I would think that this is some kind of nightmare. But in the monastery, such work seemed easy and even fun. Large fields of beets, carrots and similar crops are cultivated on Valaam. When the weeding was over, we were transferred to other jobs. Volunteers worked in the monastery gardens, went to the forest to pick berries and herbs. Obedience was also obtained on the monastery farm, this is a separate place in the monastery, with its own active life and economy: cows, chickens and other domestic animals, its own cheese-making factory. Not far from the farm there is the Konevsky skete, tourists and pilgrims often walk along this road, and there is a kiosk near the farm where guests of the island can treat themselves to milk and aromatic tea made from herbs collected on the island. By the way, standing and meeting travelers, treating them to delicious monastery drinks is also one of the obediences of the volunteers. Sometimes we were sent to work in different sketes - these are such remote places where we have our own church and where a small number of monks live more secluded and strictly. Basically, the work of the volunteers was of an agricultural nature, and young men and women even had a chance to participate in the construction of a wooden church.
Volunteer workdays are very eventful, from the very morning a series of work and events captures. After work, all the fun is just beginning! Christina took a diary with her - to write down everything that happened to her. But it turned out that there was no free time for recordings. And at the same time, three weeks seemed like an instant, so it felt like they passed quickly ...
BIRTHDAY AT THE Tomb of the LORD
One of the most memorable and amazing events on Valaam for Christina was just obedience in the Resurrection Skete. She was entrusted with the work of the temple caretaker. There is almost always a large flow of tourists on Valaam. If necessary, they had to be helped, prompted: how to submit a note, where to put a candle ... Maintain cleanliness in the temple, watch the candles, remove the remains of candle wax, wash the floors. The temple in the Resurrection Skete is two-tiered. In the lower church there is Kuvuklia - a likeness of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, the Stone of the Anointing and a very unusual open altar, as in the first centuries of Christianity.
“Jerusalem for the Russian people is a special place associated with the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ,” says Christina. - But at the same time, it is distant and not accessible to everyone, therefore, from ancient times in Russia, in some places there appeared “own Jerusalem”. There are places like this on Valaam. In the lower church of the Resurrection Skete there are completely unusual sensations and atmosphere, and when you enter the Kuvuklia itself, it seems to stop. People who have been to Jerusalem say that it feels like there is grace. The whole day in obedience in the temple flies by quickly, it happens that you are there all alone in complete silence, which is sometimes shared with you by single pilgrims who have reached a remote skete. During the arrival of ships with tourists and pilgrims, the temple is always full, one group is replaced by another in a continuous stream. Excursions for groups of tourists, unlike pilgrimage groups, do not provide entrance to Kuvuklia due to the tight schedule and limited time of the excursion program.
I remember how one woman from a group of tourists asked me to light a candle at the Holy Sepulcher. I told her that she can lag behind the group a little, and I will give her the opportunity to go to Kuvuklia herself. She went there, after a while she comes out in a kind of shocked state with the words: “I don’t know, I don’t understand what is happening to me ...”, and tears are flowing uncontrollably at herself ...
I also remember a young girl who did not look like a pilgrim in appearance, who joyfully came with a basket of flowers. Saying that she had been coming here for several years in a row, and asking to let her into Kuvuklia, she took off her high shoes and walked barefoot inside, having stayed there long enough and left flowers there. I don’t know what she was praying for, but most likely what this girl thanked for, but she remained in my memory.
Just at the work of the caretaker of the temple, Christina met her birthday, the first to congratulate was Father Naum - one of the confessors of the monastery brethren, the father, according to Christina, was distinguished by an unusually sympathetic and kind look. (Confessors are the most experienced in the spiritual life and respected monks-priests who receive confessions from monks). And the caretaker of the church at the Resurrection Skete took from the Kuvukliya the icon of the Mother of God, which had stood there for three months, and presented it to Christina.
Then there were many more gifts and surprises, even from strangers. And, of course, other volunteers also prepared congratulations. We drew a picture with bells, there were many congratulations and gifts. In total, by the way, three volunteers from the whole group celebrated their birthday on Valaam.
MONKH - OPERATOR AT SENKEVICH
The meetings and conversations with the monks were very interesting. How do they live on the holy island? How do you choose your path? What kind of people have found their place and purpose here? Different people become monks, with interesting destinies. For example, one of the clergy, Father Augustine, was the operator of the famous Yu.A. Senkevich (host of the "Travelers Club" program). In his work, he visited many places, filmed a film about Valaam, and a few years later he remained here permanently, as a monk. There were two meetings with Father Augustine: one planned, and the second came out spontaneously. He asked volunteers to help him clean up the temple. Although it was a day off, they did not refuse. We finished late, and Father Augustine drove the volunteers to their cells, dropped in for tea - and even those who were about to sleep pulled up to the conversation.
NATURE ATTRACTING ARTISTS
Every corner of the island is worthy of a painter's brush. Walking around the island is not boring and boring, you can enjoy the sunsets, go to the fires with a friendly volunteer team, arrange cozy get-togethers with new friends, celebrate birthdays and even swim! Do not be confused that this is the Russian North and Ladoga. The inland lakes of the island are warm enough, and even have their own blue mud.
On the island, Christina met another woman of Rzhev, an amazing girl, Sonya, who has come to the island not for the first time. Previously, she also worked in the monastery, and now she comes, settling in a tent on one of the picturesque corners of the island right next to Ladoga, not far from one of the sketes of the monastery. Sonya is an artist, studying to be a drawing teacher and studying at an icon painting school. On Valaam there are special sites for such a rest, you need to pay a certain amount to the reserve - there is a campfire site, a tourist camp. For artists, this option is preferable, while it is more difficult for volunteers to find time for sketches and paintings. Valaam is hospitable to everyone in his own way, and if you want to get acquainted with the archipelago, you can choose the most suitable option.
However, here you can enjoy not only the amazing landscapes of the North. Balaam was famous for singing even before the revolution. Even foreigners were fascinated by these magnificent chants. Singing here is old Russian znamenny, now polyphony is more common in temples. Christina admitted that monastic services are very different from services in ordinary parish churches, and Valaam chants create a special prayer mood, and four hours of church service on Valaam does not seem very long.
"VALAAMKA"
This "illness", it seems, was transmitted to Christina, who, not having time to return from the island, dreams of getting there again. Without even waiting for summer and vacation. Celebrating the New Year and Christmas on Valaam this winter has already become her cherished desire. Moreover, the monastery provides such an opportunity for those people who have ever visited the island as a volunteer. Valaam is waiting for its volunteers to visit at Christmas and Easter.
By the way, if the story seemed interesting to you, and there is a desire to see the beauty of Valaam with your own eyes, then you can look at the page on the Internet volonter.valaam.ru.
Vladimir Kutuzov, Rzhevskie Novosti.
PhotoChristineChernozemtseva
This wonderful archipelago is located in Karelia on Lake Ladoga. And on it for several hundred years there has been and is flourishing an Orthodox male stauropegic monastery. But before starting the story, I will give a small introduction, how I, a non-believer, learned about the island and got there. I want to announce right away that the author does not in any way offend the feelings of both believers and non-believers. Everything written here is purely my subjective opinion.
It was at the beginning of the 20th ..- year. January, frost, unexpected vacation. Where to go? The choice fell on St. Petersburg. With you only a backpack, a sleeping bag, a rug and $ 100. But where I could at least spend the night, I did not know. Lucky for the second ride to get to St. Petersburg itself. The driver once lived and worked in the Valaam Monastery, so he brought me to the courtyard (this is like a branch) in St. Petersburg, and said: "Try to ask for an overnight stay. Good luck."
They let me in. Spent three nights there. On Christmas, I washed the dishes all night (since the end of the fast, all kinds of food prepared), and wandered around the city for days. In the cell, people with bated breath spoke of the island as a sacred and mysterious place, which cannot be said out loud. Naturally, I became interested. What a wonderful island, a wonderful place in the middle of a huge lake? And also the kindness of people, their unexpected help awakened the desire to church.
September of the same year.
- They say the ship will be canceled - the weather is bad.
Our volunteer group of forty people were in the dark. From Priozersk we have to go on two old boats to Valaam. Rainy and foggy. But the captains make a decision, and we set sail, having first heard the excellent obscenities of the sailors (or lake-makers?) For the slow movement of our bodies and improper immersion of bags in the hold.
Eh, beauty! Rain, fog, waves of an unkind dark metallic color. I stand, swing on the deck and feel like a Viking. True, this feeling was replaced by boredom, after all, it is four hours to walk, and without an ax and a beard, what kind of Viking am I? It's uncomfortable in a cramped cabin. Pitching induces vomiting, lighter on deck, but very cold. Somehow you perch up and try to sleep, and you don't break up and you pass the time.
Before leaving for the island, I imagined wooden log cabins, lack of electricity and cars, reading by candlelight ... Hopes collapsed. Diesel power station plus an electric cable laid along the bottom of Ladoga, cars, snowmobiles, mobile communications and other benefits of civilization.
Volunteers are accommodated on the attic floor of a large red brick house built in the nineteenth century. It still bears the old name: Workhouse. Two cells for women to the left of the stairs, two cells for men to the right. On the second and first floor there are communal apartments for residents, in the entrance is gloomy and cat excrement. But it doesn't matter, we came here in order to help a needy monastery free of charge and to recharge ourselves spiritually.
Nine in the morning, a general gathering, agronomist Nikolai Ilyich distributes whom where. Basically, volunteers are engaged in completely different jobs. But they can also use professional skills. For example, plumbing equipment, painting murals, driving a truck, etc. But there are great universal pursuits. In the summer - hay collection, in the fall - fodder beets, cabbage or potatoes. Here we got to it. For about two weeks, they were collected and taken to the farm. A huge pile of 80 tons was formed. Even for me, Bulbash, this is a novelty. They sorted them there and then took them to the basements for storage. The work was fun. The group was excellent. But once in a while it is not necessary. The check-in lasts three weeks, and the bulk of the people change. There are outright fanatics, obsessive, closed, well, what can I say, we are all different. But the first time, the first group was just great. There were actors, musicians, journalists, interesting people of unpopular professions, and even foreigners. After a hard day, we walked around the island, celebrated birthdays, made big bonfires, where we sang songs. Humanity! Come here from big cities, plunge into the atmosphere of work in a team, similar to an old community. Quite interesting, useful for some. The diversity of life is a factor in existence.
There is an unusual shift for men in September. At night, guard the cabbage or beet field from elk. There are many of them living on the islands. This is a nature reserve and hunting is prohibited. Wandering through the woods you sometimes meet them, but the moose are afraid and leave. And in late autumn, when there are few people on the island, only local residents, workers, monks, elks are not afraid to go out into the fields in groups and graze in full view.
The archipelago has a lot to see. Rocky coast, beautiful bays, inland lakes, hermitages, an old pine tree, which was depicted on his canvas by I.I.Shishkin, the remains of Finnish military fortifications and much more. On Sundays, excursions are organized to the island hermitages and the bell tower, from where a wonderful view opens up. And on Wednesdays "Sunday school". It takes place in the form of a conversation with a theologian. Anyone can ask a question. There are very comical, but important questions for some. For example, one woman was worried that she was eating baked pastries during Lent, could not stop herself, and felt strongly guilty before God. What prayer to make amends?
Some find work at the sketes, where volunteers use the opportunity to communicate with monks. Monks are also people, I would say, no different from us. They are talkative, gloomy, funny, gloomy, selfish, grumpy, reserved, open, careerists, altruists ... It happens that you see a picture: a monk is walking in black attire with a long black beard in the company of chirping girls in headscarves, and smiling at all 32. Oh. what is he thinking now? Apparently, the mind with the body pacifies. By the way, girls are not allowed to wear short skirts here, but there are some like that among tourists. Imagine a young monk who already drives his thoughts away, prays fervently, distracting the urges of nature. And here she ... Hormones hit on the head no worse than a hammer.
We often go to the farm. There is an opportunity to dine with the monks and novices. The meal begins with prayer, everyone sits down, and one continues to read the gospel. At the same time, the atmosphere is mysterious, mystical. In general, men can dine with the monks every Sunday at the main estate. The monks are fed very well. Even if you compare the meal during Lent, not every family in the country can afford such a varied and healthy meal. And I’d better not say anything about the festive table.
The farm is of particular importance on the island. She not only provides milk, meat and eggs, but also accepts people addicted to drugs and alcohol for re-education. Probably, this was done on purpose, because the work here is not pleasant. In Orthodoxy, one of the main principles of faith is humility. So the guys are cleaning cow cakes in day and night shifts. And in the chicken coop it is impossible to breathe because of the feed and chicken droppings. Not everyone can pacify pride, they leave. Some live for months, and some for years.
For example, Father Agapius. Came here very young, with a trained Mohawk. The abbot even smeared a cow cake on his face for a poorly cleaned cow before the arrival of the monastery authorities. Nothing, resigned. Now he also takes a place in the bureaucratic Orthodox ladder. And when he gives orders, he gets real pleasure. You can see it in the eyes.
However, people with a difficult fate not only on the farm. Someone has the death of a relative, someone has unhappy love, someone after prison, but the main reason is alcoholism. Many people live like this: they will come in the hope that a special atmosphere, prayer and the smell of incense will help get rid of the green snake. They can live here for more than one year. They leave for the "mainland" and start again. Then again here. Such is the cycle of the inhabitants of Russia.
The volunteer visit lasts three weeks. But if you want, you can stay for ... as long as you want. When we checked in, Father Andrey met us in his cell with a cigarette in his mouth. More precisely, just Andrew. His father was a white monk, serving in the city church. He lived on Valaam for a long time, and if other visitors leave for different spheres of monastic life (some as novices, some as workers for a salary), then he remained a volunteer. There is a reason for this. Andrey puts it on the collar. But this does not affect his character. A very kind, helpful person. And advice will help, and not only. : Andrey plays the guitar. And the volunteer commander Nikolai Ilyich is also a huge soul. He always forgives. You can't drink on the island - they'll kick you out. But, of course, these are all conventions. After all, there is a shop near the main temple. A huckster, you think not? The store is closing, you can buy from the spikulant at an exorbitant price. But what is there to hide, and you can get hashish without any problems! After all, not only monks live on the island, but also ordinary local residents, who are a thorn in the monastery authorities. By hook or by crook, it is gradually evicting them, wants the whole land for itself. And now a little history. Where, then, are people here who are not related to monasticism?
Historians do not have a single view of the date of the founding of the Valaam Monastery. Some associate it with the time of the Baptism of Rus, others refer to the XII-XIV centuries. More than once, during the invasions of the Swedes, the monastery experienced devastation for many decades. They attended plague and disease.
In the 15th century, Alexander Svirsky asceticised at the monastery. He lived as a hermit on Saint Island in a small cave. There are also guided tours.
In 1588, Tsar John Vasilyevich, sensing the approach of death and lamenting the innocent victims of his anger, sent a synodikon to Valaam for eternal commemoration of those who suffered during the years of his reign. How generous ...
According to legend, in 1371 Valaam monks rescued the Swedish king Magnus II, who was thrown by the Ladoga waters onto the coast of the island. A violent storm smashed his ship to pieces. He converted to Orthodoxy and became a monk, but soon died. Now a small pebble testifies to his burial.
By 1811, there were no more wooden buildings in the Valaam monastery, construction was carried out from bricks. The brick was produced on the island. Until now, you can find a whole and broken brick with the inscription "VM" and the year of production. Many take home for souvenirs.
After the October coup in 1917, Finland gained independence, and Valaam ended up on its territory. The military command considered the Valaam archipelago as a frontier outpost of the state on Lake Ladoga; intensive fortification works were carried out on the islands.
In 1939, on November 30, the Soviet-Finnish war began. The Valaam archipelago was not a place of hostilities, but the monastery was bombed more than once.
In March 1940, a peace treaty was signed, according to which Karelia went to the USSR. Under the agreement, residents were given several days to leave the transferred territory to Finland. In the same year, the New Valaam Monastery was founded in Finland.
For thirty-two years (1952–1984) there was a boarding house for war invalids and the elderly. The fact is that after the war, Soviet cities were filled with crippled front-line soldiers who were left without relatives and housing. The "Great" Communist Party decided to resettle all disabled people away from human eyes. Perhaps these people interfered with creating the impression of "flourishing socialism". And the island is isolated and there are residential buildings. Here the great warriors of Zhukov, who broke the fascist machine, ended their lives. There is a graveyard in a deplorable state where they are buried. People who still live here are children and grandchildren of disabled people and service personnel. Soviet artists even captured the settlers in paintings.
The end of the 80s was the first stage in the restoration of the monastery. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were 13 sketes at the Valaam Monastery, and currently eleven have been restored. Among them is the Vladimirsky skete. It is heavily guarded. If you walk in the woods nearby, the guys with machine guns will chase you away. This is the residence of V.V. Putin and the patriarch. Sometimes they arrive by helicopter. They and other VIPs are met in jeeps.
But it's cramped for the gentlemen in the country. I happened to unload logs to build a new residence for the patriarch on a separate island. A die ship came. They brought us slaves. God's. The unloading took place like this. A group of ten people pulled the log out with a rope. At the same time, they had to flee. I watched in horror at the heels of the latter, which were a meter away from the rolling five-hundred-kilogram log. Little hitch and they might get crumbled. Then the tree was rolled up on a pile with the help of crowbars. Very hard, hard labor. But for the glory of God ...
Winter is a special period in the life of the island. It is long and stern. There is no summer tourist bustle. It is easier for monks to visit each other by walking straight, and some of them ride snowmobiles. The smell of smoking stoves ... In March, when the thick crust freezes over, it becomes possible to visit the nearby islets on foot. It was there that we observed a Finnish artillery tower and barracks. And one more pleasant moment - there are no snow-covered roads on the island. Therefore, there is no dirt and slush, everything is in harmony with each other. Forest, houses, domes, roads and people.
Sometimes we chop wood. This, and the trips to the farm are an outlet for us. Because the main occupation of volunteers in winter is sorting potatoes in the basement. There are four of us left: me, a thirty-year-old boy Nikolai, father Andrey and Ilya. New volunteers do not come because navigation ends in November-December. Their time is from May to October. I shared my cell with a guy from Kiev Ilya. At home, he uses everything that pours, burns and injects. His mother sent him here for a year, in the hope that he will change. I think it's useless. He waited next August as the end of the term, as the desired demobilization. And I was constantly in search of what is clear. And I found it! What was mentioned above.
Sometimes the assignments for our volunteer team were downright derisive. After harvesting the cabbage at the end of October, the roots had to be gouged out of the frozen ground. The Finnish excavator stood for about two weeks useless (the Finns are doing land reclamation on the island). But as soon as the thermometer showed minus, we had to clear its tracks of frozen dirt with crowbars and shovels. At the very beginning of winter, bushes were cut down from the ditch, floundering knee-deep in the snow. Humble yourself, brothers, humble yourself.
Tractor driver Vitaly, a simple Russian guy of short stature with a rude commanding voice, was looking for a partner on the oars. "Set up a net, catch fish," he smiled. So we started walking every two days until spring. It was interesting for me to swim in Ladoga. There was no experience, so I had to find out how Vitaly swears with gusto and amazingly cleverly keeps his balance. I had to keep the boat parallel to the net on the waves and walk along it, at this time Vetal, standing, took out the fish. Over time, I got the hang of it, and after the clock was changed, we left in the dark. When winter came, the boat had to be taken from the shore to the main estate. Chains were put on the tractor wheels, a trailer was taken. The water is not frozen yet, but the rocky shore is frozen over. Vitaly drives the trailer into the water, I put the boat into the trailer, immediately jump out to hold it, the boots get wet and immediately become covered with an ice crust, and he tries to leave. The roar of the engine, sparks, back and forth, back and forth, but in the end we leave. The boat is for wintering, the nets are rearranged on the inner lake and stretched out under the ice.
The last ship arrived on December 31st. The ice was already there, but weak. We and the workers' brigade nicknamed "Spetsnaz" (because they throw them everywhere, at any job, however, like us) had to unload it until eleven in the evening. New Year is a secular holiday, insignificant for believers.
The rest of the time, communication with the mainland takes place on air cushion boats and large all-terrain vehicles Trekol. Crossing the frozen Ladoga, the pillow gets stuck in hummocks. In this case, it must be rocked left and right. And the icy breeze blows to the bone. In the all-terrain vehicle, I had to ride on bags of cement. From the shaking he beat off his head, shoulders and elbows. It seems like there is a well-worn track and then bam, the devil knows what begins. Water, ice and snow mixed, the engine strains, the driver turns the steering wheel, but we leave. There is nothing to be afraid of, the car does not sink, and even in water it can move by turning the wheels.
There was also such a case. A guy came with a new group of volunteers. The first day did not come out, the second, and not at night. Then we find out, he spent two days near the temple, what he wanted we do not know. He was immediately kicked out by healthy guys from the security. They put you on a ship: get out. Well, not that with the head, well, psycho. But what about philanthropy, fathers? Indeed, sometimes a priest can be more effective than any psychotherapist.
At the end of May, I finally got ready to leave. I asked the authorities if I could stay for a couple of nights at the courtyard. They replied that there were no places. And between the words it was enlightened: "Who are you ?!" But I still went to ask face to face. And while I was waiting for my refusal at the checkpoint of the courtyard, I heard the conversation of the new chief of security. He gave orders what to buy, how to build the protection of the territory. It felt like a professional. The courtyard will turn into an impregnable fortress. What for? What wants to disrupt modern monasticism? From whom to close?
There is a special stage of monasticism: schema monks, hermits. They live in isolation, sometimes attending services in the main church on major holidays. Great wisdom, strength, emptiness are read in their eyes. Their life is a real feat. "Others are easy to defeat. But try to defeat yourself." These are the words of a monk who had to fight in Afghanistan. Now he leads a hermitic lifestyle.
Human nature is incorrigible. Word and action can look attractive and perfect. But a system is created on the basis of them. And as we can see, any system is greedy, destructive and devouring the very same creators and participants.
I came for one, saw another. Invaluable experience has been gained, the horizons have been expanded, stereotypes have been destroyed.
Today, ideological work is underway with the Russian population, which praises the last Tsar Nicholas II and the Orthodox faith. The modern state imposes on people that autocracy is good. Therefore, in conclusion, I would like to cite a quatrain, the author of which was, possibly, A.S. Pushkin. Only for reflection and debate, in which the truth will be born.
We will amuse good citizens
And at the pillar of shame
The intestines of the last priest
Let's strangle the last king. Since 2005, more than a thousand people have taken part in the Valaam Monastery project - "Volunteer on Valaam"... The idea and organization of not just a labor or pilgrimage, but a volunteer program with the participation of foreigners (regardless of their religion, gender and age) belongs to the Valaam Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Savior and its inhabitants. Father Ephraim is the head of the work of the volunteers, whose efforts are being made to restore the unique agriculture that exists in the conditions of the risky farming zone. Our correspondent was in the role of a volunteer Maria Mironova.
Morning
The desire to visit Valaam has been ripening in me for a long time. Therefore, when I learned that it is possible not only to get into a distant and inaccessible monastery, but also to work there, I did not fail to take advantage of it. It turned out that Balaam is closer than it seems and further than thought.
Dry autumn. Karelia. Morning at the workhouse. Through the window of a small women's cell, one can see the Transfiguration Cathedral - the heart of the Valaam Monastery. Bells are ringing. I wash with cold water in the attic, hung with washed clothes, and return to my cell. Neighbors - Lena, Anya, Ksenia and Masha are already ready. Our outfit is simple: skirts over trousers, kerchiefs, rubber boots and each has two pairs of gloves. We go to the refectory, where there is always millet porridge, cookies and tea for breakfast; and then - we gather at the entrance to the workhouse to go by truck to obedience.
Nikolai Ilyich, the head of agricultural work on the island, sends us to the farm. The farm is a whole agricultural complex belonging to the monastery, which includes cultivated fields, a livestock farm, a poultry house, outbuildings, and a residential building for monks and workers. The drive from our Estate, where the workhouse is located, is no more than ten kilometers. There is a lot of work on the farm: remove hay, chop wood, collect woodpiles, prepare the barn for painting. Some of the women stay to help in the refectory, some will go to work on the preparations. Fortunately, there is no shortage of mushrooms or berries in the Valaam forests. And we are going.
On the way, the truck stops at the pier of the Monastyrskaya Bay, where by that time the workers had already gathered, who, together with the male volunteers from our truck, were pushing a large ten-meter frame of the pontoon into the water. A barge standing here will drag her to Malaya Nikonovskaya Bay, where the monastery's trout farm is located.
“Stay with us! - at this time Nikolai Ilyich calls on everyone. "Until the entire world is in economic crisis, you will not find a better place to wait it out."
He's right after all, I think. - On the island, remote from both comfort and the bustle of the city, you discover the very essence of yourself, and you begin to understand people nearby better. You see more, hear farther and feel as if subtler. And all this cannot be compared with a hike, or with a trip to the village, or even with a pilgrimage. Working on Valaam, you immerse yourself in the local atmosphere, the atmosphere of a place with a thousand-year history, full of pain, sorrow and loss, illuminated by the joy of faith and the prayerful deed of the brethren. We are used to the fact that the river of life flows from the past into the future, here it seems to be moving also in a third direction - into eternity.
Without cassocks
Sitting in a circle, we cut the apples for drying in the hallway at the farm refectory. Six knives flash in a circle over a huge pot. Novice Alexander and the monk Agapius enter us:
And here we have an office, - he makes an eloquent gesture in our direction. And he adds - when the pot is finished, we will drink coffee with gingerbread.
You know how to motivate employees! - we laugh.
Later, having poured the apples onto the dryers, we really drink coffee on the glazed veranda. Outside the windows are the water of Ladoga, the Moscow Strait and the yellow-green September shores in the rocks. Someone's cassock is drying on a rope outside the barn. Quiet, warm and cloudy.
In the city, I did not smile so often, but here more and more often I catch myself smiling, - says Anya and looks at the water.
The inhabitants of the island call Ladoga the sea, and the mainland - the world. And from here that world seems very distant, and one's own life on the island is simple, but otherworldly, out of time, in the stream of God's will, where every movement of the soul has a meaning.
The sound of a motor is approaching. An old woman comes out of the boat. Supporting her by the arms, she is taken away somewhere deeper into the farm. “This is Maria,” her father Agapius remarked from the veranda. “She came here once to work for a short time, but she got seriously ill. She was already dying. And before her death, she was offered to take monastic vows. Maria agreed, but as soon as she cut her hair, she recovered and stayed to live on the island. "
The amazing phenomenon of the island lies precisely in the fact that people come here for a day or two, but stay for years. Not even to join the fraternity, but because, apparently, worldly life here is colored by a light different from that on the mainland.
We and the workers have two beds in our cells, and in the middle there is a table. All this resembles a coupe, - says Sergey. He works on the island as a driver - the most needed person at any time, since the length of Valaam is about ten kilometers, and hermitages are located at different ends.
I and the rest threw this idea that we seem to live on a train, - he continues. - So we joke: well, you have a ticket to which station?
What about hares?
No, no, you can't slip through here as a hare. There are no hares. Here is another thing: the main thing is not to get off ahead of time.
Andrey, like many here, came to Valaam for a day, and has been living on the island for almost two years. Once a journalist and television reporter from Ostankino, now he has changed his life, works as a feed on a farm and is not going to return to the capital. I ask him about the peculiarities of the workers' life, and Andrey willingly tells:
We live the same way as the brethren, according to the charter of the monastery. Unless we wear a cassock. Well, I also smoke.
And how do you, a worldly person, live in a completely different way?
It can be difficult. You will go to father Benjamin: "What is it so hard, father?" He answered: "And you remember: the day will be wasted without sorrows." And somehow it becomes easier, and the next time the father himself will ask: "Well, how was your day?" “Not in vain,” I answer.
Meeting with yourself
In the summer, many students come as volunteers, mainly from St. Petersburg and Moscow, in the fall - the older audience from various cities of Russia. Foreigners (from Slovenia, France, Belgium, Serbia, England, Sweden, Czech Republic, Germany, Poland and the USA) go to the island in search of real Russia. However, the same motivates the inhabitants of megalopolises - the desire to touch shrines, to history. For many, Balaam becomes a meeting with oneself.
And the monastery, while remaining strict and closed on the one hand (the Skete of All Saints is closed for women, and even men need a special blessing to sail to the Forerunner Skete), on the other hand, it is very democratic and hospitable. On Wednesdays, volunteers meet at Sunday School, where the monks of the monastery talk about Orthodoxy and answer questions. On weekends, Father Ephraim conducts excursions around the central estate of the monastery (the main and main part of the monastery), organizes trips to the recently built Vladimir skete and to the islands of Lembos and Saint, where the Ilyinsky skete and the cave of St. Alexander Svirsky are located. The Sunday Liturgy traditionally ends with a joint meal of the brethren and parishioners (of course, men). And most importantly, volunteers are encouraged to participate in divine services in the sketes of the monastery, because almost all the roads of Valaam lead to the temple.
Do not tweet
The refectory on the farm is full of mushrooms: russula, honey mushrooms, chanterelles, milk mushrooms - in buckets, pots, boxes, and even in a small bathtub from nowhere. Armed with knives, we bend over the boxes, and at the same time share recipes and impressions of life on the island.
It's a strange thing, because wishes come true here.
And instantly! Wanted - received.
I also heard about desires, it's like a local legend. Therefore, you will think ten times before you wish for something. And then it will fall on you right there.
Oh, well, this is also a temptation!
A day here goes in three, and all the joys and sorrows are three times stronger, - adds Irina, a florist from St. Petersburg, Alexander's assistant at the refectory. It’s not even surprising that she “came to the island for a short time and did not intend to stay at all”.
You quieter here! - Alexander looks sternly at the veranda.
We fall silent.
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In addition to the farm, the island has a bakery, a power station, a fire department, a smithy, an icon painting workshop, a school, a library and even its own monastic photo laboratory. Balaam is a state within a state, an embodied utopia. At first it was surprising that nowhere on the island were there beggars and beggars, neither on the pier, nor on the manor, nor near the temples. However, where should they come from: they will immediately feed, give water, and if they want to work, they will leave them at the monastery.
Evening with jam
In the evening, Anthony brought lingonberry jam made from berries harvested here on the island. But after supper, no one sits in the cell. Katya and Darina asked Uncle Slava for fishing rods and went to one of the inner lakes. Uncle Slava himself is strumming the guitar. Masha is preparing for communion at her place. Ivan decided to confess for the first time and also reads in his cell, not paying attention to the working radio.
Anya and Ksenia, artists from St. Petersburg, go out on sketches in their free time. Therefore, having filled their backpacks with paints, grabbing tablets and paper, they go to the Skete of All Saints, far from the banal tourist trails and routes. The outlines of the whimsical turrets of the Vsesvyatsky Skete resembles a fairytale castle lost in the forest. Meanwhile, this is one of the strictest monasteries on Valaam. They do not use electricity, there is no hot water, only a bathhouse once a week, women are not allowed to enter the territory of the monastery, and services are held not only in the morning, afternoon and evening, but even at night. After the sketches, they will return, and we will see each other in the temple.
At the late Vespers on the eve of the beheading of John the Baptist, the lower church is full and quiet. Candles are burning dark and yellow, and the monks move in their light: all the brethren participate in the service. Solemn and mysterious service. The heart stops for a moment - suddenly the silence is broken by the famous male choir of the Valaam Monastery, singing the Sermon on the Mount.
One more day on Valaam ended - the one in three. The lights had already been turned off in the large women's cell. We are still rustling, drinking tea, stringing mushroom souvenirs from the forest, reading Leskov. Through the attic window, I climb onto the sloping roof of the workhouse. Fresh, in the volumetric cosmic blackness, it is as if a cathedral is drawn. Crickets chirp. The domes with blue marshmallows stand out in the contrasting light of the bell tower lighthouse. Above, in the clear sky, billions of stars, large and small, twinkle. Like God in the palm of your hand.
Afterword
My trip to Valaam took place last fall. Since then, much has changed in the fate of the heroes of the report. Natalia got a job as a postman and stayed on the island. Artist Masha - went on probation to the icon painters of the Vladimir Skete. Alexandra learned to be a tour guide and this summer she began to lead tourists around Valaam. Alexey went to the army and serves in a military unit here, on the island. Alexander was baptized. Anya and Ksenia returned to the island as volunteers. Vlad stayed to work on the farm for the winter, and this year he himself met a new arrival at the volunteer camp. And they all met together during the Christmas holidays, which the monastery gives to those who worked here in summer or autumn.
