The annals of Valaam 1939 - 1996

Monastery after war 1940.

1939, 15th through 28th of December

The second group of monastery brothers departed, also upon the orders of the military commandant.

1940, 23rd of January through the 5th of February

A savage air bombing of the Island of Valaam took place. Throughout the islands not only military facilities, but most of the monastery buildings suffered: fire ravaged the machinery house and sawing storehouses. Bombs hit near the cathedral, and windows were blown out in almost all buildings, therefore life became physically impossible in the monastery, and because of that, the military commandant suggested that all monastery inhabitants immediately leave the Island of Valaam, for which purpose transport was offered.

1940, 24th of January through the 6th of February

All monastery inhabitants headed by Father Superior of the monastery Khariton had to evacuate the monastery and depart to the depths of Finland.

1940, 6th to the 19th of March

The Island of Valaam with all its sacred places, sketes, churches, real estate, forests and fields were ceded by the Government and the Higher Military Commandment of Finland to the Soviet Union.

1941, 6th through the 19th of September

The Island of Valaam with all its real estate was returned again to Finland.

1941, 27th of October to the 9th of November

All inhabitants of the Valaam monastery, who were situated in various schools, settled from that day in the estate of Papiniiemi on the New Valaam, Finland.

1941, 9th through the 22nd of November

Six monks from the monastery left for Old Valaam to start work on restoring it.

Firing practice at Nikon field in 1943 during the second phase of the wars.

1944

The Island of Valaam was again ceded to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the last monks left the cloister.

1989

Monks' life on the Old Valaam was resumed.

1989, 3rd through the 16th of October

A report was presented, at this time by the Right Reverend Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod, Alexiy regarding the transfer of a part of the monastery and sketes on Valaam back to Church control. At the presentation of this report it was mentioned, to the Leningrad Episcopacy of the Holy Synod headed by the Reverend Patriarch Pimen, the "praise to God for the resumed monastic life on the Holy Island Archipeligo of Valaam".

1989, 30th of November through 13th of December

On the day of St Apostle Andreys' memory, first monks set foot on the coast of the Island of Valaam to begin the revival of the Valaam cloister.

1990

On the Day of Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Metropolitan of Leningrad and Novgorod Alexiy again consecrated the main altar of the lower cathedral church in the name of Saint Sergiy and Saint Herman the Valaam Miracle-Makers.

1990

The Valaam monastery was given the status of a stauropegial cloister.

Procession with the esteemed icon of Valaam Mother of God.

1996, 8th through the 21st of July

Upon the blessing of the Holy Patriach Alexiy II, the Valaam Icon of the Mother of God, (a copy of the icon made by the Valaam monks in 1902) was moved to the Valaam cloister from Saint Petersburg.

1996, 9th through the 12th and the 22nd through the 25th of July

The Holy Patriach Alexiy II visited the Valaam cloister. He consecrated the newly built shrine over the relics of the Saints Sergiy and Herman in repose under the earth, as well as the iconostasis of the lower cathedral church.

At that moment two sketes worked in the cloister: namely the skete of All Saints, and of St Nicholas. The lives of the sketes of John the Baptist and Gethsemane were soon after themselves resumed.