Volunteer for Valaam 7th race. Volunteering on Valaam - my impressions

The life of volunteers in an ancient Orthodox monastery is incomparable to either tourism or pilgrimage. It's not only active economic activity in the lap of nature, touching the shrines and history. A meeting with Valaam is a meeting with oneself.

Full description

Who is needed

Man

Woman

18 - 70 years

Knowledge of languages

Additional Information

We invite men and women over 18 years of age, without bad habits or addictions, and healthy enough to engage in agricultural work, to participate in the “Volunteer on the Island of Valaam” program.

What to do

Home Economics

Decoration

Gardening

Cooking

Agriculture

Number of working hours

33 per week

Number of days off per week

Additional Information

Daily routine: 8.30 breakfast (there is no breakfast on Sundays and holidays) 9.00 - 12.30 departure for obediences 12.30 - 14.00 lunch and rest 14.00 - 18.00 departure for obediences 18.30 dinner, free time From Monday to Friday - full working days in the entire monastery. On Saturday work only until lunch. Sundays and twelve holidays are days off. The daily schedule may vary depending on the weather (in heavy rain there is no work in the fields, and during haymaking and urgent obediences, the working day can be extended or added).

Conditions

Housing

Bed space

Nutrition

Full board

Volunteer Contributions

Labor remuneration

More about the conditions

Each volunteer travels independently and at their own expense to the monastery pier in the city of Priozersk. And at his own expense he makes the journey from Priozersk to home. Program participants are provided with free passage across Ladoga from the city of Priozersk to Valaam and back on a monastery ship; three meals a day (lenten and fast - to choose from); accommodation in monastery dormitories; excursions as part of the program.

Additional terms

Students can

For adults only

Additional Information

On the territory of the monastery, women must wear thick (not transparent) skirts below the knees (over trousers is possible) and headdresses (scarf, headscarf, hat, cap); deep necklines and bare shoulders are not allowed. It is convenient to have several skirts: for the temple, several interchangeable ones for work. Men must cover their torso and wear trousers with legs below the knees. The use of alcohol and drugs while staying on Valaam is strictly prohibited for all program participants.

For the eighth year now, volunteers have been coming to Valaam to revive the holy monastery. Some of them, at the end of their stay, remain to live and work on the island. What motivates these young people to leave their jobs, friends, family and completely change their lives? To find out, I went to the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Valaam Monastery as a volunteer.

At the Finlyandsky Station in St. Petersburg, volunteers are gradually gathering near the first ticket office. There is a woman of retirement age, a smart man in a khaki suit who looks like a military man, several students, and a young couple.

Volunteers began coming to the monastery starting in 2005. To revive Agriculture, restore buildings, help in arranging everyday life. For fifty years, Northern Athos - as the Valaam Monastery is also called - was desolate. During Soviet times, the monastery buildings at various times housed a boatswain's school, a fish factory, a home for disabled people of war, labor and childhood, a natural and architectural museum-reserve, and the village of Valaam (still located within the walls of the Valaam monastery). Bells did not ring here, monastic prayers did not sound, agriculture fell into decay. The monks returned to the island only in 1989. As the monastery was restored, the work did not decrease, but became more and more. Labor was needed. And volunteers from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Europe, and the USA responded to the monastery’s invitation. The first volunteers did not live in the best conditions. The premises were poorly heated, there was no hot water or electricity. But many of the volunteers stayed for several races and came again the next year.

Olga

Olga came to Valaam in 2007. After that, she returned every summer, and, if possible, at other times of the year. Now she has been living on Valaam for two years, leading excursions for pilgrims and participating in the organization of the “Volunteer to the Island of Valaam” movement (www.volonter.valaam.ru). Thanks to our correspondence, I fell in love with Valaam even before my arrival on this island. “Monk George, the initiator of the volunteer movement, met us at the pier,” Olga wrote to me about her first volunteer experience, “He met us like family. From the next day, volunteer life began - weeding in the fields, collecting hay, men chopped wood, women collected woodpiles, we collected currants, made jam, and prepared brooms for the bathhouse. In three weeks we managed to visit both distant monasteries, where pilgrims are invited only on holidays, and quiet, secluded hayfields surrounded by forest. We became closely acquainted with the working life of the monastery, with the life that tourists and pilgrims who come for holidays do not have time to see. Thanks to the sincerity and faith of Monk George, many of us began to go to church, confess, and receive communion. The lives of many people have changed. That summer, Father George died tragically, but his prayer and his love are still with us. And his work is alive. Every year more and more people learn about the volunteer movement; people come from all over Russia, from near and far abroad. Often they go simply for impressions, but leave spiritually enriched.

At first glance, the monastery may seem too strict - you need to wear a skirt and headscarf, you can’t do this, you can’t do that. But after living here for a while, you realize how much love there is. Valaam reconciles everyone, regardless of age, gender, religion. People are becoming more tolerant of each other, kinder.” Looking ahead, I will say that I never managed to listen to the excursion led by Olga. Maybe next time.

One form of obedience is leading excursions for tourists.

Volunteers

We take the train to Priozersk, where we are met by the monastery ship “St. Nicholas”. We unload our backpacks onto the deck and sit down on the chairs and seats. There are five hours of travel ahead, there is time to get acquainted.

“I decided to come to Valaam as a volunteer after reading the book “Unholy Saints” by Archimandrite Tikhon,” says Olga from Kharkov, “I wanted to live in a monastery, to see the life of the monastery from the inside.”

“And I’m looking for myself,” shares Natalya from Tyumen, “I recently moved from my city to St. Petersburg. No one understood my departure; they said that you could arrange your life in Tyumen. But I wanted to explore this world, to find my place in it. Perhaps on Valaam I can find answers to my questions.”

A personal tragedy brought Valentina from the Moscow region to the island.

“A year ago my son died. And life lost its meaning. Relatives and friends consoled me, but it didn’t help. I felt that they could not understand the extent of my grief. Their participation made it even worse. I did something, talked to someone, but there was emptiness inside. My daughter, who at that time was a believer, helped me get out of depression. She sent me to Jerusalem. Traveling through holy places, I saw an icon of the Mother of God with a knife stuck in the heart. Her son was crucified on the cross, and She was able to accept this with humility. And only an unhealed wound remained in my heart... I looked at the icon and sobbed. After that I felt relief. My daughter also sent me to Valaam. I don’t even quite know where I’m going.”

Vlad

It feels like we've been floating forever. The sun, which warmed so tenderly at the beginning of the journey, hides behind the clouds. The wind penetrates to the bones, but there is nowhere to hide. We are tired and dream of setting foot on land as soon as possible. And Valaam seems to be the most desirable place on earth. When the ship enters Monastyrskaya Bay, we cannot contain our exclamations of joy and admiration. Karelian nature amazes with its harsh, northern beauty. We are surrounded by rocky shores covered with moss and centuries-old pine trees. The domes of the Transfiguration Cathedral are visible ahead.

Vlad meets us at the pier. He has been living here on the island for the third season and working with volunteers. Before his arrival on the island, he had no idea that he would live in a monastery.

“I believed in God since childhood, but I didn’t go to church,” shares Vlad. “I was bored standing in the service; I didn’t understand why it was necessary. He came to Valaam as a volunteer following his sister, and a year later, after graduating from college, he returned to earn extra money by fishing. But God wanted something else - I was offered to become a volunteer leader. Before this, I had never been involved in organizational work, I even avoided it. By nature I am a reserved and silent person. And here you had to constantly communicate with people. But I decided to try. I thought I’d stay for a year, but I’ve already lived for three. Every time I tell myself, that’s it, the season will end and I’ll leave. And I’m staying.” Vlad admits that he has changed over the years - he has become more open and sociable. And I also felt the fear of God: “It’s scary not because He will punish me, it’s scary to offend Him with my action.”

Ksenia

In the evening, after dinner, we newbies are greeted by a group of volunteers, including Ksenia. The girl gives us a short tour of the monastery. He talks about each building, about distant hermitages, about where you can take a walk after a working day. Along a narrow staircase we go down to the water, where there is a chapel and scenic view to Monastyrskaya Bay. I find out that Ksenia has been living on the island since September. She came here for a month to participate in an environmental program, and stayed.

“I wanted to do something necessary in life, and not just work the required hours at work and get paid for it. I felt the meaninglessness of my job and quit. After which I found out about Valaam and came to the island,” says Ksenia. “Here I went to my first confession. I couldn’t decide for a long time; I was afraid to open my thoughts to God. Now I go to confession and receive communion every week. The sacraments help you to be collected and focused. It was easy to offend someone in the city. Not on purpose, but casually, without paying attention to what you say. And after confession, you try to see the image of God in every person. At the beginning of the spiritual path, God gives strength. It was easy for me to get up at five in the morning for services and fast. During Lent, my friends and I didn’t eat anything for the first two days. We went to church for services three times a day. I noticed that after forty days of fasting, when there are no restrictions, it is easy to relax and concentration goes away. You need to look after yourself constantly. Also, my coming to God is not only constant self-control from sin and repentance, but also joy, a constant feeling of God's mercy and mercy.

Loved it here for Christmas. There were live Christmas trees in the temple, the smell of pine needles, and candles were burning. It was like in a fairy tale. Many pilgrims came for this holiday. Why am I here? I want to live a meaningful life, so that every day is not lived in vain. Here I wake up with this feeling. I don’t know what will happen to me next, but in any case, the time spent on Valaam is a huge spiritual experience.”

Obediences

In the morning we will learn our obediences for this day. Some are sent to pick potatoes, some to a farm, some to a distant monastery. In addition to the main monastery building and the Transfiguration Cathedral, there are monasteries on the island. Monks live there in special solitude. Some monasteries have limited access for pilgrims. For example, women can visit the All Saints Skete only one day a year. The monasteries are located in picturesque bays and on the islands of the Valaam archipelago. Many of the volunteers want to work in monasteries, where they can touch the life that monks live and feel the grace of the place of worship.

Several girls and I are going to the Vladimir monastery to plant a flower bed. I am very pleased with such obedience. The Vladimir monastery is surrounded on all sides by forest. There are no pilgrims here and there is a special silence. We arm ourselves with gardening tools and begin to plant flowers. “It’s easy to work for the glory of God,” says one of the volunteers. And it’s true - time flies by. And before leaving, we are treated to delicious monastery pies for reinforcement.

The next day I am sent to plant cabbage. Half of the volunteer staff is dedicated to this work. The work is going briskly and briskly. By the end of the day, all the seedlings are planted.

Before leaving I work on the farm. There I meet novice Alexei, who has been grazing cows here for more than ten years. He plays the animals on the flute and knows them all by name. He speaks of them with such love, as if they were not cows, but dear people. Herding cows is a whole science. Once they get distracted for a minute, they scatter around the neighborhood. Then collect them throughout the forest. “Today we ate all the strawberries at the Konevsky monastery,” Alexey laments. A smart guy named Anton helps him. I find out that Anton is an orphan and that his home is a monastery. “I spent my childhood in a boarding school,” he says. “I came to God after I was in an accident and survived. In 2008 I came to Valaam for the first time. Lived here for almost a year. The monastery changed me, I stopped drinking, and began to treat people kindly. I don’t have my own home, I live in different monasteries, working for the glory of God. They will pay - good. No - and thanks for that. I dream about my home and family.” The cows themselves turn towards the farm, and Anton follows them. And I return to my obedience.

Father Joseph

Evening. We are like schoolchildren sitting on chairs in a classroom at a local school. Today our teacher is Father Joseph. He will answer our questions within two hours. The girl sitting in front of me asks the first question:

Explain the meaning of the Gospel passage where the leper asks: “Lord, if you want, cleanse me.”

In Holy Scripture we encounter two similar questions, says Father Joseph. - One comes from the Savior: “Do you want to be cleansed?”, and the other comes from man: “Cleanse me.” The relationship between man and God is a dialogue. Grace from God cannot be bought or stolen. You can only beg her. In turn, God cannot give anything to a person by force. We are required to participate in the work of our healing and salvation. Our consent is required. A person is not some kind of weak-willed object, he is an active participant in his healing. But for a miracle to happen, it is necessary that the Lord mercifully stretch out His hand and do what only He can do.”

Valentina asks to explain the expression “Be angry without sinning.”

Experiencing emotional states is an integral part of what it means to be human. Our emotions, when they are free from sinful passion, are an integral part of the image of God as we were created, answers Father Joseph. - In the Holy Scriptures, mainly in the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament, we are repeatedly faced with a situation where God is angry. He shows His anger through the words He reveals to the prophets, as well as through His actions. But anger can be different. It can be a testimony to your faith, defend your faith, or be aimed at saving the person (even if it is expressed in a harsh way) with whom you are angry. So you get angry without sinning. If your anger is caused by wounded pride, if a feeling of condemnation is mixed in with it, then you arrogate to yourself the right that belongs to God alone - to judge others. Then anger is sin.

The following question sounds: “What should I do if, after committing a bad deed, I feel despondent?”

The Holy Fathers own the expression: “Orthodox life is a life not from takeoff to takeoff, but from fall to fall,” answers Father Joseph. - Having committed this or that sin, we must understand that God's mercy, God's love is greater than this sin. And this understanding, this faith allows us not to feel rejected from God, but to strive to fill the gap that has arisen. For this there is repentance, confession. Dejection is an indicator of pride. This means that you have placed your “I” above the mercy of God.

The questions never stop. And instead of two hours, the conversation continues for three.

Once a week, volunteers gather for such spiritual conversations, which Father Joseph has been leading for more than a year. He sees his service to God in serving people.

“The Lord called me to serve not only as a monk, but also as a priest,” says the monk, “And my duty is to find those people who are looking for God. Tell them about Christ's love, about God's mercy, forgiveness, in words that will be understandable to them. Among the volunteers there are many searching people. Their questions concern the basics of Christian life. I hope that the seed planted during conversations will grow. During my ministry, I have learned that people are much better than the actions they perform. Often their lifestyle is determined by the environment in which they were born and live. And listening to stories about how vulnerable a person is to sin, you are filled with gratitude to God. Because he tolerates everyone, including me, with all their weaknesses and sins.”

Results

“Is it possible to feel the presence of God in the city, among the bustle?” - I ask Father Joseph.

“God is close to the human soul, no matter where a person lives. To feel God, you don’t need to run away from yourself, from your life circumstances. The Lord can also be found in the conditions in which you live. You need to look not outside, but inside yourself.”

And yet Valaam is a place where, far from the noise of the city, it is easier to focus on your spiritual life. Look at it from the outside and take the first step - towards God.

...I went to the island to feel the closeness of God, and I realized how far I am from Him with my thoughts, actions, and way of life. On the island, days are spent in work and prayer. In the city, you can justify your desire to sleep an extra hour in the morning, inattention to your neighbor (I’m busy with important things!), elementary laziness, which is disguised as fatigue (I worked so much today, I need to rest), but here you can’t do this. It’s as if you are standing before God, and he does not condemn, does not punish, but looks at you with love, and waits for what choice you will make. And the realization of my sinfulness makes me want to come to church and pray: “Lord, have mercy!” Internal struggle requires great forces. All those volunteers who remained to live on the island chose this struggle with themselves.

Hello, I have lost my support and meaning in life. Children have their own lives, I think they are ashamed of me because of the lack of money. My husband died a long time ago. I am 57 years old, but I am full of energy and desire to know myself and dedicate my life to the good. Education: Aviation Institute, Economics Institute, I can cook well. ACCEPT me, I want to be needed, I don’t shun any work

Hello. I would like to visit Valaam as a volunteer. Please tell me, is this possible? Specialty: sailor, motor mechanic, diesel operator. Will my help be useful in specialties? Thank you.

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"Valaam Chronicle" - ptrip to Valaam for 2 weeks with obediences

Volunteers and workers are accepted for a period of two weeks or more from mid-May to mid-September.

Performing obediences is an integral part of the program.

Children over 16 years of age are allowed to participate in the program. accompanied by an adult relative.

Opportunities to bring a pet (cat, dog, etc.) No.

Active men and women over 18 years of age, without bad habits or addictions, and ready to work to help the monastery are invited to participate in the program.

Each participant of the trip is provided free of charge:

• travel Priozersk-Valaam-Priozersk or Sortavala-Valaam-Sortavala. Each volunteer travels to the monastery pier in the city of Priozersk (Sortavala) and from Priozersk (Sortavala) to their home independently and at their own expense
• accommodation on the island in dormitories depending on the place of obedience (men and women separately)
• 3 meals a day according to the church charter (observing fasts and fasting days)
• 2 excursions: “Central Estate” and “Valaam Hermitage”, during free time from obediences.

Obediences are distributed in advance, during the period of consideration of the application form. The types of labor can be different, both in the open air and in a church, in a hotel, in a refectory, in other rooms of the Central Estate and the Resurrection Skete.

Monday through Friday usually full working days. On Saturday work only until lunch. Sundays and twelve holidays are days off. If you have to work on a day off, you will be given a free day during the week in return.

Each participant will be able to attend a full range of services once a week. Men will be able to pray at the fraternal Liturgy daily.

Each travel participant must have with him:

• passport
• compulsory medical insurance policy or health insurance
• work gloves (it is convenient to have several pairs of rag and doused or rubberized gloves)
• work clothes and shoes - durable, comfortable (Valaam is rocks, forests, fields and dirt roads)
• rubber boots(not above the knee)
• warm clothes (the weather on Valaam is very changeable)
• raincoat (strong, not disposable)
• warm wool and cotton socks
• bath slippers
• towel: cold remedies, for the gastrointestinal tract, for treating abrasions and cuts. Consider the characteristics of your body: heart, allergies, joints, blood pressure
• flashlight (useful in August and September)
• cup

Sample daily routine:

On the territory of the monastery, women must wear thick (not transparent) skirts below the knees (over trousers is possible) and headdresses (scarf, headscarf, hat, cap); deep necklines and bare shoulders are not allowed. It is convenient to have several skirts: for the temple, several interchangeable ones for work. Men must cover their torso and wear trousers with legs below the knees.

• 9.00 breakfast
• 9.30-12.30 departure for obedience
• 13.00 lunch
• 14.00-18.00 exit to obedience
• 18.00 dinner and free time

Volunteers and workers spend their free time in accordance with their wishes and interests.

It is possible to attend religious services and take independent walks around the island, hermitages, and forests.

At tourist sites you can use campfire equipment, tables, benches, light a fire, drink tea, sing songs with or without a guitar, play volleyball, badminton.

Forbidden:

• alcohol consumption
• drug use

On Valaam there is:

• post office, Russian Post ATM
• cellular communications - MTS, Megafon, Beeline. You can buy a SIM card and top up your account
• grocery store with a small department for household goods
• medical Center
• bicycles for rent

On Valaam there is no:

On Valaam there is no:

• bank branches
• pharmacies, hospitals, clinics

This wonderful archipelago is located in Karelia on Lake Ladoga. And on it, for several hundred years, an Orthodox men’s church has stood and flourished. stauropegic monastery. But before I start the story, I’ll give a short introduction to how I, a non-believer, learned about the island and got there. I want to immediately announce that the author in no way offends the feelings of both believers and non-believers. Everything written here is purely my subjective opinion.
This was at the beginning of the 20th year. January, frost, unexpected vacation. Where would you like to go? The choice fell on St. Petersburg. Bring only a backpack, sleeping bag, mat and $100. But I didn’t know where I could even spend the night. I was lucky to get on the second ride all the way to St. Petersburg. The driver once lived and worked in the Valaam Monastery, so he brought me to the compound (it’s 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 dishes all night (since it was the end of Lent, all kinds of dishes were being prepared), and spent the days wandering around the city. In the cell, people spoke with bated breath about the island as sacred and mysterious place, about which it is impossible to say out loud. Naturally I became interested. What a wonderful island, a wonderful place in the middle of a huge lake? And the kindness of people, their unexpected help awakened the desire to join the church.
September of the same year.
- They say the ship will be canceled - the weather is bad.
Our volunteer group of forty people was in the dark. From Priozersk we must go on two old boats to Valaam. Rainy and foggy. But the captains make a decision, and we set sail, having first heard an excellent curse from the sailors (or lake people?) for the slow movement of our bodies and the incorrect loading of our bags into 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 gave way to boredom, because it’s four hours to walk, and without an ax and a beard, what kind of Viking am I? The cramped cabin is uncomfortable. The pitching causes vomiting, it is easier on deck, but it is very cold. Having somehow settled down, you try to sleep, but you can’t break it and pass the time.
Before leaving for the island, I imagined wooden log houses, lack of electricity and cars, reading by candlelight... My hopes were dashed. Diesel power station plus an electric cable laid along the bottom of Ladoga, cars, snowmobiles, mobile connection and other benefits of civilization.
Volunteers are housed in the attic floor of a large house built in the nineteenth century from red brick. It still bears its old name: the Workhouse. Two cells for women to the left of the stairs, two cells for men to the right. On the second and first floors there are communal apartments for residents, the entrance is gloomy and contains cat excrement. But it doesn’t matter, we came here in order to help a needy monastery free of charge and recharge ourselves spiritually.
Nine in the morning, general gathering, agronomist Nikolai Ilyich distributes who goes where. Basically, volunteers do completely different work. But they can also use professional skills. For example, plumbing, painting murals, driving a truck, etc. But there are great universal activities. In summer - harvesting hay, in autumn - fodder beets, cabbage or potatoes. That's where we ended up. It took about two weeks for them to be collected and taken to the farm. A huge pile of 80 tons was formed. Even for me, Bulbash, this is a novelty. They were sorted there and then taken to basements for storage. The work was going well. The group was excellent. But it doesn’t happen once in a while. The race lasts three weeks, and the bulk of the people change. There are outright fanatics, fixated, closed ones, but what can I say, we are all different. But the first time, the first group were just wonderful. There were actors, musicians, journalists, interesting people unpopular professions, and even foreigners. After a day of work, we walked around the island, celebrated birthdays, burned big bonfires, where we sang songs. Humanity! From big cities come here, plunge into the atmosphere of working in a team that is similar to an ancient community. Very interesting, useful for some. Diversity of life is a factor of existence.
In September there is an unusual duty for men. At night, guard the cabbage or beet field from moose. There are many of them living on the islands. This is a nature reserve and hunting is prohibited. Wandering through the forests, you sometimes come across them, but the moose are afraid and leave. And in late autumn, when there are few people left on the island, only local residents, workers, and monks, moose are not afraid to go out into the fields in groups and graze in full view of everyone.
There is a lot to see in the archipelago. Rocky coast, beautiful bays, inland lakes, hermitages, an old pine tree, which I. I. Shishkin depicted on his canvas, the remains of Finnish military fortifications and much more. On Sundays there are excursions to the island monasteries and the bell tower, which offer a wonderful view. And on Wednesdays there is “Sunday school”. It takes place in the form of a conversation with a theologian. Everyone can ask a question. There are very comical, but for some, important questions. For example, one woman was worried that she was eating rich pastries during Lent, could not stop herself, and felt very guilty before God. What prayer can I use to make amends?
Some get to work at monasteries, where volunteers use the opportunity to communicate with monks. Monks are also people, I would say, no different from us. Talkative, gloomy, cheerful, gloomy, selfish, grumpy, withdrawn, open, careerists, altruists... Sometimes you see the following picture: a monk in black robes with a long black beard walks in the company of chirping girls in headscarves, and smiles at all 32. O what is he thinking now? Apparently, the mind and body pacify. By the way, girls are prohibited from wearing short skirts here, but there are some tourists. Imagine a young monk who is already driving his thoughts away, praying fervently, distracting the urges of nature. And here she is... Hormones hit you on the head no worse than a hammer.
We often go to the farm. There is an opportunity to have lunch 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 manor. The monks are fed very well. Even if you compare the meal during Lent, not every family in the country can afford such varied and healthy food. And about festive table I’d better keep silent.
The farm has a special significance on the island. It not only provides milk, meat and eggs, but also accepts people addicted to drugs and alcohol for re-education. It was probably done this way on purpose, because the work here is not pleasant. In Orthodoxy, one of the main principles of faith is humility. So the guys clean up the cow dung during day and night shifts. And it’s impossible to breathe in the chicken coop because of the feed and chicken droppings. Not everyone can tame their pride and leave. Some live for months, others for years.
Here, for example, is Father Agapius. I came here very young, with a trained mohawk. The abbot even smeared a cow pat on his face for poorly cleaning the cow before the arrival of the monastery authorities. It’s okay, I’ve resigned myself. Now he too 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 difficult fates are not only on the farm. Some have the death of a relative, some have an unhappy love, some are after prison, but the main reason is alcoholism. Many people live like this: they come in the hope that the special atmosphere, prayer and the smell of incense will help get rid of the green serpent. They can live here for more than one year. They're leaving for " mainland", and they start again. Then again here. Such is the cycle of the inhabitants of Russia.
The volunteer run lasts three weeks. But if you want, you can stay for... as long as you want. When we checked in, Father Andrei met us in his cell with a cigarette in his mouth. More precisely, just Andrey. As a father, he was a white monk, serving in the city church. He lived on Valaam for a long time, and while other visitors go into different spheres of monastic life (some as novices, others as workers for a salary), then he remained a volunteer. There is a reason for this. Andrey puts it behind the collar. But this does not affect his character. A very kind, sympathetic person. And he will help with advice, and not only. :Andrey plays the guitar. And volunteer commander Nikolai Ilyich is also a huge soul. He always forgives. You can't drink on the island - you'll be kicked out. But, of course, these are all conventions. After all, there is a store near the main temple. And the huckster, do you think not? The store is closing, you can buy it from a speculator at exorbitant prices. But why hide it, you can buy hashish without any problems! After all, not only monks live on the island, but also ordinary local residents, who are a thorn in the side of the monastery authorities. By hook or by crook, it gradually evicts them and wants all the land for itself. And now a little history. Where do people here come from who have nothing to do with monasticism?
Historians do not have a common view on the date of foundation of the Valaam Monastery. Some associate it with the time of the Baptism of Rus', others attribute it to the XII-XIV centuries. More than once during the Swedish invasions, the monastery experienced devastation for many decades. Plague and disease visited.
In the 15th century, Alexander Svirsky labored in the monastery. He lived as a hermit on Holy Island in a small cave. There are also excursions there.
In 1588, Tsar John Vasilyevich, feeling the approach of death and lamenting the innocent victims of his wrath, sent a synodik to Valaam for eternal commemoration of those who suffered during his reign. How generous...
According to legend, in 1371, Valaam monks saved the Swedish king Magnus II, who was thrown out Ladoga waters to the shore of the island. A strong 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 longer wooden buildings in the Valaam monastery; construction was carried out from brick. Brick was produced on the island. To this day you can find whole and broken bricks with the inscription "V.M." and year of production. Many take it home for souvenirs.
After the October Revolution in 1917, Finland gained independence, and Valaam ended up on its territory. The military command considered the Valaam archipelago as a border outpost of the state on Lake Ladoga; intensive fortification work was carried out on the islands.
In 1939, on November 30, the Soviet-Finnish war began. The Valaam archipelago was not the site of military operations, but the monastery was bombed more than once.
In March 1940, a peace treaty was signed, according to which Karelia ceded to the USSR. According to the agreement, residents were given several days to leave the transferred territory for 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, left without relatives and housing. The “Great” Communist Party decided to resettle all disabled people away from human eyes. Perhaps these people made it difficult to create the impression of “prosperous socialism.” But the island is isolated and there are residential buildings. This is where the great warriors of Zhukov, who broke the fascist machine, ended their lives. There is a cemetery in a deplorable state where they are buried. The people who still live here are the children and grandchildren of disabled people and service personnel. Soviet artists even depicted 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 monasteries at the Valaam Monastery, and currently eleven have been restored. Among them is the Vladimir monastery. It is carefully guarded. If you walk nearby in the forest, 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 at the dacha. I had the opportunity to unload logs for the construction of a new residence for the patriarch on a separate island. The die ship has arrived. They brought us slaves. God's. The unloading happened like this. A group of ten people pulled out the log using 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 rushing five-hundred-kilogram log. A little hiccup and they could have been crumbled. Then the tree was rolled onto a pile using 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 harsh. No summer tourist bustle. It is easier for the monks to visit each other by walking, and some ride on snowmobiles. The smell of smoking stoves... In March, when the thick crust freezes, it becomes possible to visit the nearby islands on foot. That's where we saw the Finnish artillery tower and barracks. And one more pleasant moment - there is 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 trips to the farm, are an outlet for us. Because the main activity of volunteers in winter is sorting through potatoes in the basement. There are four of us left: me, a thirty-year-old guy Nikolai, father Andrei and Ilya. New volunteers do not come because navigation ends in November-December. Their time is from May to October. I shared a cell with a guy from Kyiv, Ilya. At home he consumes everything that pours, burns and injects. His mother sent him here for a year, in the hope that he would change. I think it's useless. He waited for next August as the end of his term, as a desired demobilization. And I was constantly in search of something clear. And I found it! What was mentioned above.
Sometimes the tasks for our volunteer brigade were downright mocking in nature. After harvesting the cabbage at the end of October, the roots had to be dug out from the frozen ground. The Finnish excavator stood for about two weeks, no one needed (the Finns are doing land reclamation on the island). But as soon as the thermometer showed minus, we had to clear its tracks from frozen dirt with crowbars and shovels. At the very beginning of winter, they cut down bushes from the ditch, floundering knee-deep in snow. Humble yourself, brothers, humble yourself.
Tractor driver Vitaly, a simple Russian guy of short stature with a rough, commanding voice, was looking for a partner at the oars. “Place a net and catch fish,” he smiled. So we started going every two days until spring. It was interesting for me to swim in Ladoga. I had no experience, so I had to learn how Vitaly swears deliciously and maintains his balance with amazing dexterity. I had to keep the boat parallel to the net on the waves and walk along it, while Vetal, standing, took out the fish. Over time, I got the hang of it, and after changing the clocks we went out in the dark. When winter came, it was necessary to take the boat from the shore to the main estate. Chains were put on the wheels of the tractor and a trailer was taken. The water has not frozen yet, but the rocky shore is frozen. Vitaly drives the trailer into the water, I put the boat into the trailer, immediately jump out to hold it, my felt boots get wet and immediately become covered with an ice crust, and he tries to get out. The roar of the engine, sparks, back and forth, back and forth, but in the end we leave. A boat for the winter, the nets are rearranged on the inland lake and stretched under the ice.
The last ship arrived on December 31st. There was already ice, but weak. We and the work crew nicknamed “Special Forces” (because they are sent everywhere, to any job, just like us) had to unload it before eleven in the evening. New Year- a secular holiday, insignificant for believers.
The rest of the time, communication with the mainland occurs by hovercraft and large Trekol all-terrain vehicles. Crossing frozen Ladoga, the pillow gets stuck in the hummocks. In this case, it must be swung left and right. And the icy breeze blows to the bones. In the all-terrain vehicle we had to ride on bags of cement. The shaking knocked off my head, shoulders and elbows. It seems to be going on a well-worn track and then bam, God knows what begins. Water, ice and snow are mixed together, the engine is straining, the driver is turning the steering wheel, but we are leaving. There is nothing to be afraid of, the car does not sink, and even in water it can move by turning its wheels.
There was such a case. A guy arrived with a new group of volunteers. The first day it didn’t come out, the second, and at night it didn’t. Then we find out that he spent two days near the temple, but we don’t know what he wanted. He was immediately kicked out by the big security guys. They put you on a ship: get out. Well, it’s not like he’s crazy, he’s crazy. But what about philanthropy, fathers? After all, sometimes a priest can be more effective than any psychotherapist.
At the end of May I finally got ready to leave. I asked my boss if I could stay for a couple of nights at the farmstead. They replied that there were no places. And between the words it was explained: “Who are you?!” But I went anyway, to ask face to face. And while I was waiting for my refusal at the checkpoint of the compound, I heard the conversation of the new head of security. He gave orders what to buy, how to build security for the territory. It felt like a professional. The courtyard will turn into impregnable fortress. For what? What does modern monasticism want to undermine? From whom to close?
There is a special level of monasticism: schema-monks, hermits. They live in isolation, sometimes attending services in the main church on major holidays. There is great wisdom, strength, and emptiness in their eyes. Their life is a real feat. "It's easy to defeat others. Try to defeat yourself." These are the words of a monk who had to fight in Afghanistan. Now he leads a hermit's life.
Human nature is incorrigible. Word and action can look attractive and ideal. But based on them, a system is created. And as we can see, any system is greedy, destructive and devours the creators and participants themselves.
Came for one, saw another. Invaluable experience has been gained, horizons have been expanded, stereotypes have been destroyed.
Nowadays, ideological work is underway with the Russian population, which praises the last Tsar Nicholas II and Orthodox faith. Modern state imposes on people that autocracy is good. Therefore, in conclusion I would like to cite a quatrain, the author of which was, perhaps, 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
Guts of the last priest
We will strangle the last king.