The [[Image:Valaam Monastery - Karelia (Russia).jpg|right|thumb|View of Valaam Monastery.]]{{monastery|name=Valaam Monastery<br>of the Transfiguration of the Savior|jurisdiction=[[Church of Russia]]<br>([[Stavropegial]])|type=Male Monastery|founded=before 1600|superior=Abbot<br> [[Archimandrite|Archim.]] Pankraty (Zherdev)||size=~200 monks|hq=Valaam Island|language=Slavonic|music=Russian Chant|calendar=[[Julian Calendar|Julian]]|feasts=unknown|website=[http://www.valaam.ru/en/ Official website]}}'''Valaam Monasteryof the Transfiguration of the Savior''', more popularly '' (also written 'Valaam Monastery'Valamo'') is an Orthodox a [[monastery]] of the [[Church of Russia]] located in Karelia, a territory formerly claimed by both in northwestern Russia on the island of Valaam in Lake Ladoga. The monastery was an outpost of evangelism in the north of Russia. In the 1790s the monastery provided the group of eight missionaries that was sent to Alaska in the North American northwest to evangelize the Soviet Union natives for Orthodox Christianity. This group of [[monasticism|monastics]] included [[Herman of Alaska|St Herman]] and Finland[[Juvenaly of Alaska|St Juvenaly]].

It is ==History==The origins of Valaam Monastery are not clear when . Situated in the frontier of civilization the monastery was founded on Valaam, often attacked and burned as the largest island in Lake Ladoga, itself being the largest lake in Europearea was contested by both Russians and Swedes. As the cloister monastery is not mentioned in documents before the 16th century, different dates - from the 10th to 15th centuries - have been proposedfor its founding. Whatever In Church tradition the truth may be, founding of the Holy Transfiguration Valaam monastery was a western outpost of Eastern Orthodoxy against Monastery has been attributed to [http://www.ortodoksi.net/index.php/Sergius_and_Herman_of_Valaam Ss. Sergius and Herman] who were among the heathens and, later, against first missionaries to the city of [[Roman Catholic Church|CatholicNovgorod]] Christianity in the tenth century and created a monastery on Valaam Island in Lake Ladoga, north of Tavastia, Savonia, and (Swedish) KareliaNovgorod.

The power struggle In the sixteenth century, Karelia became the battleground between Russians Swedish and Russian forces as the Swedes pushed the border eastwards their borders eastward. Situated in Lake Ladoga, Valaam Monastery was in the 16th century; in midst of these struggles. In 1578, [[monk]]s and [[novice]]s were beaten to death by the (then) Lutheran Swedes. After another attack, the monastery was desolate depopulated between 1611 and 1715, the . The buildings being were burnt to the ground , and the Karelian border between Russia and Sweden being was drawn through the lake. In As the 18th eighteenth century continued, the monastery was magnificently recovered. Buildings were restored, and in 1812 it came under built as the monastery prospered. By the Russian Grand Duchy beginning of Finlandthe twentieth century the monastery had become very wealthy with about twenty smaller sketes under its control.

In 1917 Finland became independent1793, and the [[Church of Finland|Finnish Orthodox Churchabbot]] became autonomous under the Orthodox [[Church of Constantinople]]Valaam Monastery, Nazarius, as previously it had been a part of was tasked by Catherine II with recruiting missionaries for the [[Church of Russia|Russian Orthodox Church]]colony in Alaska. Valaam was the most important monastery A group of the Finnish Orthodox Church. The liturgical language eight monks was changed from assembled and departed Valaam on [[Church SlavonicDecember 25]] to Finnish, and 1793 for Alaska. After a long journey through the liturgical [[calendar]] from the Julian to length of Siberia the group arrived in Kodiak, Alaska on [[Gregorian Calendar|GregorianSeptember 24]] calendar. These changes led to bitter decade-long disputes in the monastic community of Valaam, 1794.

The In 1809, Sweden ceded Finland to Russia, which became an autonomous Grand Duchy. As the monastery was again evacuated located in 1940, due to the Winter WarGrand Duchy of Finland, but it was able to resume its normal life at when Finland gained its present site independence in Heinävesi (New 1917 Valaam) in became part of the [[Church of Finland later ]]. The Finnish Church became autonomous under the same year[[Church of Constantinople]]. From 1941 During the Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union in 1940, the [[monk]]s from the monastery were evacuated to 1944Heinavesi, during Finland. With the end of the war the Continuation Warborder was moved westward so that all of Lake Ladoga was within the Soviet Union. Having lost their former home, an attempt was made the monks who had moved to restore Finland formed the buildings[[New Valamo|New Valaam Monastery]] at Heinavesi. In 1989 monastic life on It is the only monastery in the Old Valaam was resumedFinnish Church.

In With the loss of its monastic community and the inclusion of Lake Ladoga in the Soviet Union the late 1990s, buildings of the original monastery on Valaam Monastery, having gained significant legal power over Island remained unused as a secular population moved on to the island under . In time the Patriarch Alexey II, in island became a push to return to a state of spiritual seclusion and enticed by Soviet military base. As restrictions on the prospect of monopolized profits from Orthodox Church in the vast tourism industry on Soviet Union eased during the Valaam island1980s, has forced many longtime residents to move out to the mainland, often employing illegal actions original monastery was reactivated in 1989 and the facilities restored over the process, ranging from denying residents vital services to forcible eviction from their homes. After years of fruitless legal proceedings, many residents of the island chose to leave rather than continue the fight, though a few still remain.

In the late 1990s, Valaam Monastery gained significant legal power over the island under the Patriarch [[Alexei II (Ridiger) of Moscow|Alexei II]]. In an effort to return to a state of spiritual seclusion and enticed by the prospect of monopolizing the vast tourism industry on the island, the monastery forced many longtime residents to move out to the mainland. After years of fruitless legal proceedings, many residents of the island chose to leave rather than continue the fight, though a few still remain. ==Source2016 Fire==*On [[Wikipedia:Valaam MonasteryMay 1]], 2016, the day of [[Pascha]], a massive fire broke out in the historic "Winter Hotel" next to the main chapel. Although there are no casualties reported, between 50 and 70 people reportedly had to be evacuated, and an emergency fire-fighting helicopter needed to be deployed from St. Petersburg to fight the blaze. The hotel building dated back to the 1850s and was considered a national heritage site.  This was the same date on which [[St. Sava Cathedral (New York, New York)|St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in New York City, USA]]burned as well as two more Orthodox Churches in Australia.

*[http://www.valaam.ru/en/ Official site: The Valaam Monastery] - Official site*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valaam_Monastery Wikipedia: Valaam Monastery]*[http://www.valamovalaam.firu/en/history/ The New Valaam Monastery in Finland: Cloister History] - Official site*[http://nordictravel.ru/page/valaam.html Map of ValaamIsland]*[http://www.ortodoksi.net/tietopankkiindex.php/luostaritSergius_and_Herman_of_Valaam Ss. Sergius and Herman of Valaam /valamon_luostariOrtodoksi.htm The New Valaam Monasterynet]*[httphttps://www.ortodoksirt.netcom/kuvatnews/paikat341548-valaam-monastery-fire-helicopter/valamon_luostari.htm PicturesFire rages at Russia’s revered Valaam monastery]Russia Today; May 1, 2016*[http://www.ortodoksicbsnews.netcom/tietopankkinews/luostaritfires-orthodox-easter-3-orthodox-churches-3-cities-trinity-chapel-complex/valamo_suuri.htm Panorama picture of Valaam ChurchFires around Orthodox Easter torch 3 churches in 3 cities]CBS News; 2 May 2016