Valaam

Valaam (Russian Валаам, Finnish Valamo ) is the name of a group of islands in the northeastern part of Lake Ladoga in Karelia, Russian Federation, and the name of the main island of the archipelago.

Geography

Valaam is part of the Republic of Karelia and consists of over 50 partly inhabited islands with an area of 36 km ². The main island of Valaam covers 27.8 km ² approximately two- thirds of the area. On it is the Orthodox monastery of Valaam.

History

Valaam belonged in the 12th century, the Principality of Novgorod and in the late Middle Ages to the Republic of Novgorod, 1478, in the reign of Ivan III. , Came under the rule of Moscow. In the 17th century Valaam came to the Kingdom of Sweden. From 1809 Valaam part of the Grand Duchy of Finland and from 1917 the independent state of Finland. As a result of the Winter War Valaam came as part of Karelia to the Soviet Union. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union Valaam a part of the Russian Federation.