The winter hotel, the last building in the Valamo Monastery, to be returned to the Church

The Karelian leaders plan to return the winter hotel to the Valamo Monastery of the Holy Transfiguration. It will be the last building to be returned by the republican authorities to the Russian Orthodox Church in the 16 years during which this old monastery has been reviving. This intention was voiced by deputy governor Vladimir Voinov at the Karelian government’s briefing devoted to the forthcoming celebrations on the Transfiguration Day at Valamo Island.

It is expected that Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia and a large delegation of republican executives led by Karelian Governor Sergey Katanandov will come for the celebrations to be held in the monastery on August 18-20, 2005.

During the main festivities, the Cathedral of the Holy Transfiguration, the main church of the monastery the restoration of which has been almost completed, will be consecrated. According to Vladimir Voinov, the republic is one of the largest contributors to the restoration and maintenance of the monastery. In addition, since 1989 the Karelian authorities have returned to the Russian Church almost all the property that used to belong to the monastery.

REGNUM new agency