Solovetsky Islands
The Solovetsky Islands are a group of six rocky islands in the Onega Bay of the White Sea, Russia. They cover about 347 square kilometers, with hills up to 107 meters high. The shores are rugged and granite, and the land is mostly covered with Scots pine and Norway spruce forests. There are many lakes, and monks joined some of them with canals. The islands also feature stone labyrinths, notably on Bolshoi Zayatsky Island.
The main settlement, Solovetsky, sits on Bolshoy Solovetsky Island and is the administrative center of Solovetsky District in Arkhangelsk Oblast. The population was 861 in 2010.
Historically, the Solovetsky Monastery was founded in 1436. By the 16th century it had become a wealthy and powerful religious center, with major stone churches and a fortress built during the time of Ivan the Terrible. The monastery withstood sieges during several eras of Russian history. In 1974 the area was turned into a historical and architectural museum and a natural reserve, and in 1992 it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as the Cultural and Historic Ensemble of the Solovetsky Islands.
After the Russian Revolution, the islands housed the first Soviet Gulag camp, Solovki, from 1921 to 1939. Today the Solovetsky Islands are a popular tourist destination.
The islands are served by Solovki Airport, with regular flights to Arkhangelsk, and, in the summer, ferries to Arkhangelsk, Kem, and Belomorsk.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 18:16 (CET).