Solovetsky (russian: Солове́цкий) is a

rural locality In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are describ ...

(a settlement) and the

administrative center An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located. In countries with French as administrative language (such as Belgium, L ...

of Solovetsky District in Arkhangelsk Oblast,

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...

, located on the west coast of

Bolshoy Solovetsky Island Bolshoy Solovetsky Island (russian: Большой Соловецкий остров), or simply Solovetsky Island (russian: Соловецкий остров) is the biggest island of the Solovetsky Islands archipelago in the White Sea, northern R ...

in the

White Sea The White Sea (russian: Белое море, ''Béloye móre''; Karelian and fi, Vienanmeri, lit. Dvina Sea; yrk, Сэрако ямʼ, ''Serako yam'') is a southern inlet of the Barents Sea located on the northwest coast of Russia. It is s ...

. Municipally, it is the administrative center of

Solovetskoye Rural Settlement Solovetsky District (russian: Солове́цкий райо́н) is an administrative district (raion), one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia.Law #65-5-OZ It is located on the Solovetsky Islands archipelago in the White Sea. Its ...

Primorsky District Primorsky District is the name of several administrative and municipal districts in Russia. The name literally means "near the sea". Districts of the federal subjects * Primorsky District, Arkhangelsk Oblast, an administrative and municipal dis ...

. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 840.

History

From 1435, when

Solovetsky Monastery The Solovetsky Monastery ( rus, Солове́цкий монасты́рь, p=səlɐˈvʲɛtskʲɪj mənɐˈstɨrʲ) is a fortified monastery located on the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea in northern Russia. It was one of the largest Christ ...

was founded, and until 1920, when it was abolished, the islands were the property of the monastery, and the economy was run by the monks. In 1920, the

Solovki prison camp The Solovki special camp (later the Solovki special prison), was set up in 1923 on the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea as a remote and inaccessible place of detention, primarily intended for socialist opponents of Soviet Russia's new Bolshe ...

was established in the former monastery buildings, and again there was no access to the islands, except for the prisoners and the correction department officers. In 1939, the prison camp was closed due to the imminent war with Finland. The navy cadet corps was deployed in the monastery buildings; one of the notable cadets was the future author

Valentin Pikul Valentin Savvich Pikul (russian: Валенти́н Са́ввич Пи́куль) (July 13, 1928 – July 16, 1990) was a popular and prolific Soviet historical novelist of Ukrainian-Russian heritage. He lived and worked in Riga. Pikul's novels w ...

. In 1965, the islands were transferred to the museum to be open, and for the first time were open for public, which is when the modern settlement was founded. The Solovki Museum was officially established in 1967. The settlement was needed for civil population, mostly engaged in the museum activities. In 1992, the monastery was reopened, and some of the properties were transferred to the monastery, but some still belong to the museum. In the same year, the monastery was included in the

World Heritage A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

list.

Demographics

The settlement is home to almost all of the population of Solovetsky District; in 2010, for example, the population of the district was 861, of which 840 (97.6%) lived in the settlement.

Economy

Modern Solovetsky is essentially an adjunct of the

. The economy of the settlement heavily depends on the tourism. Solovetsky is served by the

Solovki Airport Solovki Airport (russian: Аэропорт Соловки, ') is an airport in Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, N ...

, the only airport on the archipelago. There is regular air service to

Arkhangelsk Arkhangelsk (, ; rus, Арха́нгельск, p=ɐrˈxanɡʲɪlʲsk), also known in English as Archangel and Archangelsk, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina near i ...

, as well as regular summer passenger sea connections to Arkhangelsk, Kem, and

Belomorsk Belomorsk (russian: Беломо́рск; krl, Šuomua; fi, Belomorsk/') is a town and the administrative center of Belomorsky District of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located on the Onega Bay on the shore of the White Sea. Population: ...

References

Notes

Sources

* * {{Authority control Rural localities in Solovetsky District Solovetsky District Solovetsky Islands Populated places established in 1965 1965 establishments in the Soviet Union