A grande plan for what will be nature preserves, national parks and conservation areas was recently presented in Russia. Aimed at protecting unique nature and cultural sites, the plan stipulates a list of 11 national parks, six nature conservation areas and one federal preserve; the Solovetsky Islands.
From before, the archipelago is a nature protection area and was included into UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1992.
Historically the archipelago has been the setting of the famous Russian Orthodox Solovetsky monastery complex, founded in the second quarter of the 15th century. The monastery, and its special way of life, is also now the reason why preserve statues will be granted to the islands.
Solovki has become increasingly popular destinations both by orthodox pilgrims and by domestic and foreign tourists.
With the coming federal preserve statues, in addition to the church’s own push to brand the islands with a “religious-historical-place” stamp, access for visitors could be restricted. Today, some 30,000 to 40,000 tourists visit Solovki annually.
Visiting Solovki last summer, the Patriarch himself underlineed the importance of archipelago for the Church. ”Today, the reconstruction of Solovki is an utmost important task for the state and the Church, not only because this is a masterpiece, but also because it is a monument on the braveness and spiritual strength of our ancestors”, Kirill said.
He added that it is the state and the Church’s common commitment to restore the monastery and the surrounding village in a way which reflects the greatness of the place. ”The local population must both have a good life and a life which is in line with the unique spiritual and historical context of the place”, the Patriarch said.
