The stone labyrinths of Bolshoi Zayatsky Island are a group of 13 or 14 labyrinths on Bolshoy Zayatsky Island , one of the Solovetsky Islands in Arkhangelsk Oblast , Russia . Lacking standard archaeological study, a research group from St. Petersberg theorize that the labyrinths are about 2500 years old, according to their orientation, their supposed ritual use, and changes in the direction of the zenith on the solstice throughout history. Most researchers doubt that they are that old; the vast majority of labyrinths in this area date at the earliest to the Middle Ages .
15-633: Solovetsky (masculine), Solovetskaya (feminine), Solovetskoye (neuter), or Solovetskiye (plural) may refer to: Solovetsky Islands , an island archipelago in the White Sea, Russia Solovetsky District , the administrative division which this archipelago is incorporated as Solovetsky Monastery , a museum located there Solovetsky (rural locality) ( Solovetskaya , Solovetskoye ), name of several rural localities in Russia [REDACTED] Topics referred to by
30-526: A stone symbol with radial spokes, possibly representing the sun. All the labyrinths are concentrated in an area of 0.4 km on the western part of the island. Another enormous complex of stone settings on Sopka Hill, in the eastern part of the island, does not include any labyrinths. All in all, there are 35 labyrinths (known as vavilons – "Babylons" – in the local dialect) in the Solovetsky Islands. All have been made of local boulders. Excavations in
45-524: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Solovetsky Islands The Solovetsky Islands (Russian: Соловецкие острова , IPA: [səlɐˈvʲetskʲɪj ɐstrɐˈva] ), or Solovki (Russian: Соловки , IPA: [səlɐfˈkʲi] ), are an archipelago located in the Onega Bay of the White Sea , Russia . As an administrative division ,
60-452: Is stone labyrinths and other stone settings, especially the Stone labyrinths of Bolshoi Zayatsky Island . Such labyrinths were typical for Northern Europe , but most have perished and now Solovetsky Islands have some of the best remaining examples. Historically the islands have been the setting of the famous Russian Orthodox Solovetsky Monastery complex. It was founded in the second quarter of
75-496: Is the Onega Peninsula . The shores of the islands are very indented. They are formed of granites and gneiss . The relief of the islands is hilly (the highest point is 107 m). Most of the Solovetsky Islands are covered with Scots Pine and Norway Spruce forests, which are partially swampy . There are numerous lakes, which were joined by monks so as to form a network of canals. One interesting feature of these islands
90-522: The 2010 Census , the district had a population of 861 inhabitants. The Solovetsky Monastery (founded in 1436), in 1923 became the site of the first Gulag establishment, the Solovki prison camp . The archipelago has a total area of 347 square kilometers (134 sq mi) and consists of six islands: The islands separate the Onega Bay from the main volume of the White Sea . The closest mainland
105-630: The Crimean War (19th century), and the Russian Civil War (20th century). In 1974, the Solovetsky Islands were designated a historical and architectural museum and a natural reserve of the Soviet Union . In 1992, they were inscribed on the World Heritage List "as an outstanding example of a monastic settlement in the inhospitable environment of northern Europe which admirably illustrates
120-568: The 15th century by two monks from the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery . By the end of the 16th century, the abbey had emerged as one of the wealthiest landowners and most influential religious centres in Russia. The existing stronghold and its major churches were erected in stone during the early reign of Ivan the Terrible at the behest of St. Philip of Moscow . At the onset of the Schism of
135-593: The Russian Church , the monks staunchly stuck to the faith of their fathers and expelled the tsar's representatives from the Solovki, precipitating the eight-year-long siege of the islands by the forces of Tsar Alexis . Throughout the imperial period of Russian history, the monastery was renowned as a strong fortress which repelled foreign attacks during the Livonian War (16th century), Time of Troubles (17th century),
150-516: The faith, tenacity, and enterprise of later medieval religious communities". Today, the Solovki are seen as one of the major tourist magnets in the orbit of the Russian North . After the October Revolution , the islands attained notoriety as the site of the first Soviet prison camp ( gulag ). The camp was inaugurated in 1921, while Vladimir Lenin was still at the helm of Soviet Russia. It
165-546: The islands are incorporated as Solovetsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast , Russia . Within the framework of municipal divisions , they are incorporated as Solovetskoye Rural Settlement within Primorsky Municipal District . The administrative center of both divisions is the settlement of Solovetsky , located on Bolshoy Solovetsky Island. Almost all of the population of the islands lives in Solovetsky. As of
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#1732852535199180-427: The same term This disambiguation page lists articles about distinct geographical locations with the same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Solovetsky&oldid=452530609 " Category : Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
195-404: The spiral there are thicker or wider heaps of stones; the ends of the spirals are also wider. The entrances are generally on the southern sides of the labyrinths, but can also be found in the south-western, eastern or western parts. The labyrinths have five types of settings, but each has only one entrance which also serves as an exit. The function of the stone settings is unclear. One suggestion
210-423: The stone heaps have yielded parts of bones. Measuring between 6–25.4 m (20–83 ft) in diameter, the labyrinths are mostly made of boulders (c.30–40 cm (12–16 in) in diameter) set in a row. The rows are twisted in the form of a spiral; often there are two spirals set one into another, which has been likened to "two serpents with their heads in the middle looking at each other". Intermittently along
225-643: Was closed in 1939, on the eve of World War II . By the beginning of the war, there was a naval cadet training camp for the Soviet Northern Fleet . The islands are served by the Solovki Airport . There is regular air service to Arkhangelsk, as well as ferry lines (summertime only) to Arkhangelsk, Kem , and Belomorsk . Stone labyrinths of Bolshoi Zayatsky Island Apart from the labyrinths, there are more than 850 heaps of boulders on Bolshoi Zayatsky Island, plus numerous other stone settings such as
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