Skete (Archosauria, fin. Erakkosaari "the island of the hermits") is an island that is part of the larger Valaam archipelago in Lake Ladoga in the Republic of Karelia, Russia. Situated directly on the northwestern shore of the island of Valaam, separated in the South-East Sredneaziatskom narrow Strait, and South-West of Moscow channel.
Island Skete is high, hilly and covered with pine forest. In the Northern part of the island, there are mountains Big Skete, 52 meters high and the Stone, visible from a distance of 19 miles. The island shores are predominantly rocky, and deeply indented bays that do not have navigational significance.
There is a bridge and road to the island of Valaam.
History
Got its name because it is the Skete of All Saints (aka the White monastery). The monastery was built by Abbot Nazarius in 1789-1793, on the supposed site of a solitary chapel Reverend Alexander Svirsky.
In the XVIII century there was built a wooden Church in the name of St. Alexander Svirsky. In the middle of the XIX century on the initiative of the hegumen Damaskin of the monastery was rebuilt by the famous Russian architect A. M. with ermine and was a small town-a fortress, framed by magnificent pine, asenapine, fir and oak alleys. Instead of individual cabins there were 8 private buildings and dilapidated single-domed Church has replaced the two-story Church of All Saints. Body, fence and towers of the monastery were painted white, hence its second name — White. The interior of the Church painted by the Valaam masters.
It was the most severe on the Charter skete at the monastery: here do not eat meat, fish and dairy food, the pilgrims were allowed here only once a year. It was inhabited by about 20 people. Simply Charter the monastery in 1894, was allowed in nepolnye days to taste the milk. Women can only get here on the feast day with a procession to All Saints day.
White skit repeated the fate of Valaam monastery. Of the utensils (including icons V. P. peshekhonova) is now in Finland.
On the feast of All Saints in 1993, the Abbot of Valaam monastery hegumen Pankraty (Zherdev), in the lower Church held its first Liturgy over the past half century the "abomination of desolation". In the monastery was restored monastic life in accordance with the earlier Charter.
In 2009, addressed the question of renaming the island in honor of, who died in December 2008 of Patriarch Alexy II.
The white Hermitage is located in the depths of the island Skitsky, and is the largest and most austere monastery of Valaam. To visit it is possible only with the blessing of the Abbot, therefore, if you are not an Orthodox pilgrim, from the idea to go there to opt out.