Orthodox religion

Karelian Church Road

The Karelian Church Road is a route for tourists and pilgrims, introducing the Orthodox faith, starting from Heinävesi at pretty Karvio canal near the Lintula convent and the Valamo monastery, and ending in Värtsilä, by the Russian border. The second branch of the Church Road turns north and takes you to the easternmost village in Finland, Hattuvaara in Ilomantsi.

The wooden churches and tsasovnyas on the route are built in 18th and 19th centuries in so called carpenter style. They are unique in their style, which is not met as such anywhere else in the world. Another unique feature is the Karelian prazdnik, a noteworthy ecclestiastic tradition. Each holy house is dedicated to the memory of a saint or a holy feast. Prazdnik is held in each temple every year.

The wilderness cemeteries in North Karelia are not seen anywhere else in Finland. These unique cemeteries, set in the wilderness, have been left in their natural state.

ortodoksisuus

Orthodox sites on map

List of Orthodox sites

Main Church, Transfiguration of Christ (new church)

The main church of the Valamo Monastery was inaugurated in 1977, when Valamo celebrated its 800th anniversary. The stone church is a typical example of traditional northern Russian church architecture.
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Lakeside Chapel of Saint Nicholas

The chapel was built in 1986 to resemble another chapel on the Mantsinsaari island. The chapel is next to the monastery quay. Those travelling on the lake can ask for...
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Church of Saint Nicholas

Finished in 1887, the church is the fifth oldest building in Joensuu. The temple is considered as a prime example of 19th century timber architecture. It is one of the...
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Chapel of Saint Herman of Alaska

The chapel, "tsasovnja", stands on the monastery graveyard. It was finished in 1981 to serve as a space for burial and memorial services. In summertime, the chapel is a popular...
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Winter Church, Saints Serge and Herman of Valamo

Attached to the Main Church, there is another church dedicated to the founders of the monastery, so called winter church. Services are conducted in the church only during quiet winter...
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Church of Saint Elijah

The Church of Saint Elijah in Ilomantsi was finished in 1891. The current village has had an orthodox temple as early as in the late 15th century. Beautiful both inside...
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Chapel of Prophet Saint Elijah

The chapel is in the Sotkuma village, Polvijärvi municipality. The chapel was finished in 1914, but wasn't inaugurated until in 1916. The rectangular log building is modest in its architecture.
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New Valamo Monastery

The New Valamo Monastery in Heinävesi has five houses of God, or churches, on its grounds.
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Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul

The chapel in Hattuvaara, Ilomantsi, is the only Karelian tsasovnja in the Finnish side of the border. The chapel was built in the turn of the 19th century. The log...
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Holy Trinity Church

The welcoming church was built in 1973. Under its roof, the church houses a Jerusalem Mother of God icon, salvaged from the old Lintula, and a large Mother of God...
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Saint John the Baptist Church

Built in 1914, the church is located in Polvijärvi. The funds for building the church were received from Czar Nicholas II, Grand Duke of Finland. The church bells and many...
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Church in honour of Tikhvin Mother of God icon

Finished in 1906, the main church of Taipale orthodox parish is in Viinijärvi. The earlier church on the site, built in the 18th century, was the first church to start...
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Lintula Holy Trinity Convent

The Lintula convent was originally founded in 1895 on the isthmus of Karelia, in Kivennapa. It was evacuated during the Winter War of World War II. The convent reached its...
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Sonkajanranta Church of Saint Hannah

The jewel-like Church of Saint Hannah is in Sonkajanranta, Tuupovaara. The small church was built in 1915. The atmosphere in the Church of Saint Hannah is unique. Karelian red and...
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Transfiguration of Christ Church

The oldest church in the monastery was made of two sheds put together in 1940, to make up a temporary church for the brotherhood, evacuated from the Lake Ladoga. The...
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