Peter's Ship

Solovetsky Islands

Solovki is only 150 kilometers from the Arctic Circle, and the wind frequently whips up such a storm that boats are prevented from getting to or from the island; for several months of the year its inhabitants have virtually no way of leaving the island at all. Journeying here even in good weather takes some planning. Most who make it have come to experience what is considered the holiest place in Russia. Some come to worship in the 600-year-old monastery, others simply to trek around the island and enjoy the isolated quiet of the forests. There is very little in the way of tourist comfort or distraction. This is what makes the islands so unique, even liberating.