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Republic of Karelia is the beautiful northern land with an abundance of natural, historic-cultural and architectural monuments attracting tourists from all over the world |
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Petrozavodsk is a scientific, cutural, historic and tourist center of Karelia, quiet and cozy provincial capital on the picturesque shore of Petrozavodsk Bay of Lake Onega |
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Sortavala is the second largest (after Petrozavodsk) tourist center in Karelia, a historical city of Russia and a true treasury of architecture in the spirit of Finnish romanticism |
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Valaam, the most scenic island in the northern part of Lake Ladoga, a gem of Karelia. Severe rocks, pine forests, scenic inland lakes; the ancient Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery |
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In the Abbot cemetery, situated about one kilometer away from the main monastery complex, are buried all Abbots of the Valaam Monastery, beginning from Father Damaskin |
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The world famous Belomorsk petroglyphs - more than 2000 unique rock carvings of late Stone Age, that are to be found at the lower reach of Vyg river, near the village of Vygostrov |
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The monumental Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Saviour, built in 1887-1896 in the Byzantine style, is the main gem of the historic-cultural complex of Valaam monastery |
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Crimson quartzite Shoksha, a rarest decorative natural stone, is mined in the only one place on the planet: in the quarry on the west shore of Onega Lake, near the village of Shoksha |
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Gethsemane (Yellow) skete was founded in 1901, when Father Mavriky brought here from Jerusalem a fraction of the Holy Sepulchre; the church of the Dormition of Virgin Mary |
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Girvas volcano crater, discovered in the 60-ies of the last century, is a geological natural monument of federal importance; a place of unique beauty in Karelia |
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Kivach, the scenic waterfall on the rapid Suna River, glorified by the great Russian poet Derzhavin in the famous ode; the second largest plain waterfall in Europe, after the Rhine Falls |
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Kizhi, the world famous ensemble of wooden architecture, is a State Historical-Architectural and Ethnographic Museum |
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The folklore-ethnographical theatre of the Kizhi Museum-Reserve is a regular participant of annual museum festivals held on the Kizhi Island |
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Because of the unique natural conditions of the coastal area and the abundance of fish, Ladoga Lake is highly attractive for lovers of ecological tourism and fishing |
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Medvezhyegorsk Fortified District, created during the Great Patriotic War, is a mighty complex of defensive structures cut out in the rocks surrounding the aforenamed town |
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Malaya Medvezhka is a country club, situated in a pine forest on the shore of Lake Onega, not far from Medvezhyegorsk; exclusive comfortable cottages made of venerable pine wood |
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Mountain Vottovara is the highest point of the West-Karelian Elevation, the sacred mountain of the ancient Sami with a complex of cult stones called seids |
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Cape Besov Nos (Devil's Nose) on the eastern shore of Lake Onega is known all over the world for numerous petroglyphs, or rock engravings, dating back to 4th–2nd millennia BC |
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Rafting on Shuya river, one of the most beautiful rivers in Karelia, will be very interesting not only for the experienced water tourists, bur also for the beginners; 3-5-7-days tours |
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The most picturesque Ruskeala marble quarries, filled with clearest emerald green subterranean waters, are a unique natural monument and an object of mining culture |
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In the Sandarmokh forest near the town of Povenets is located a memorial cemetry, the largest in the North-Western Russia burial place of victims of Stalin's terror in 1937-1938 |
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The mysterious lightning attracting Sapen-gora is a pagan Mountain of Strength, glorified in Karelian-Finnish epic "Kalevala" as a mountain,on which an iron rain has fallen |
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Skete of All Saints (or White skete), the oldest and largest in the monastery, is situated on the second largest island in the Valaam archipelago - the Hermit Island |
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Skete of st. Alexander of the Svir is situated on the Svyatoi (Holy) island, where in the end of 14th - beginning of 15th century, in the artificial rock cave, lived the aforenamed saint |
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The most beautiful church, snow-white monks' house, apple orchard and granite worship cross create inimitably elegant landscape and architectural ensemble of St. Nicolas skete |
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Skete of the Konevskaya icon of Our Lady, with its modest wooden church, is located on the shore of Hegumen Lake, the largest of three quiet picturesque inland lakes |
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Skete of the Smolensk icon of Our Lady, founded on the southern extremity of the Skitsky Island in the beginning of 20th century, is known for its church in the Pskov architectural style |
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The Resurrection skete, located on the hill above Big Nikon bay, is the only one Valaam skete, inhabited not by monks, but by monastery guides, who meet and serve arriving pilgrims |
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The main wonder of Kizhi is the world famous 22-domed Transfiguration Church, built in 1714 without a single nail; a unique monument of Russian wooden architecture |
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White Sea – Baltic Canal connects the White Sea with Lake Onega, which is further connected to the Baltic Sea; at present time the canal has a status of historic and cultural monument |
