Description
New Valamo Monastery of Transfiguration of Christ is a monastery of the Finnish Orthodox Church located in Heinävesi. It is the only monastery for men of the Finnish Orthodox Church. The original Valamo Monastery was located on the island of Lake Ladoga in Karelia, but it was evacuated to Finland during the Second World War from the area occupied by the Soviet Union.
The picture depicts the main church of the monastery dedicated to the Transfiguration of Christ, completed in 1977. Its annual feast, or praasniekka, is celebrated on the 6th of August. Most of the church’s icons date back to the 17th and 18th centuries and were mainly restored from icons brought from Valamo Monastery on Lake Ladoga. The most historically significant icon in Finland, the Mother of God of Konevitsa, occupies a place of honor in the church. In the center of the image, in the mosaic on the wall of the part of the church that serves as the winter church, are the founders of Valamo Monastery, Saints Serge and Herman of Valamo. The 14 bells in the clock towers on the right side of the picture are also from Valamo.
Within the monastery grounds, there are many buildings, such as the so-called Old Church, which was originally two barns joined together and is now known as the Church of All Saints of Valamo. The Valamo Cultural Center features a permanent exhibition that covers the monastery’s history and activities. The teaching and accommodation facilities of Finland’s only Orthodox folk high school, Valamo Folk High School Institute, were completed in 1989. Near the boat pier is the Chapel of Saint Nicholas, and within the monastery’s cemetery is the Chapel dedicated to John the Baptist. The monastery cemetery is a kilometer away from the main monastery area.
The main livelihood of the monastery is tourism, for which, in addition to the old accommodation facilities, there is a hotel, restaurant, souvenir shop, and a shop selling wines made at the monastery. The monastery receives over 100,000 visitors annually. During a short visit, visitors can, for example, attend open services, explore art exhibitions and museums, and wander the monastery grounds. Longer visits are popular during Christmas and Easter, when people come to the monastery for reflection and contemplation.
The card photo was taken by Minna in August of 2023 when the Finnish Postcrossing Friends Association made a membership trip to Valamo, arranging there a Postcrossing meet-up and getting to know Martta Wendelin’s exhibition.
