Arkhangelsk Region., Pos. Solovki, street. Zaozernaya 17a
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01.01-31.05.15,

01.09-31.12.15

low season

Standard 
(29 rooms)
Mansarda
(11 rooms)
Luxury
(2 rooms)
Luxury
mansarda
(2 rooms)
Apartaments
(1 room)
2500 2500 4000
4000
6000
3300 3300 4400 4400 6500
4300
4300
5400
5400
7500
- 5300
6400
6400
8500

01.06-14.07.15,

16.08-31.08.15

main season

4000
3800
6000
5500
8000
4500 4200
6500
6000
8500
5500 5200
7500
7000
9500
- 6200
8500
8000
10500
15.07-15.08.15

peak season

4500 4200
6000 5500 8000
4800 4500 6500
6000
8500
5800 5500
7500 7000 9500
- 6500
8500 8000
10500

Nature

Geography


Solovetsky archipelago is located in the northern part of the Onega Bay of the White Sea, 165 km to the south of the Polar circle line. The closest distance to the mainland is 40 km (Onezhski Peninsula, Arkhangelsk region), the distance to the nearest large settlement is 60 km (Kem, Republic of Karelia). Solovki consist of more than 100 islands, of which 6 are large: Bolshoy Solovetsky (219 km2), Anzer (47 km2), Bolshaya Muksalma (19 km2) and Malaya Muksalma (0.6 km2), Bolshoy (1.25 km2) and Malyi Zayatsky (1 km2). Other Islands are called ‘Corgas’ and ‘Ludas’. Luda is a small island with tundra or forest vegetation. Corgas are rocky islets normally covered by water at high tide. The total area of ​​the archipelago is 300 km2.

Bolshoy Solovetsky is the largest island in the White Sea, the circle is - 80 km coastline of 181 km, it is strongly indented capes and ‘sea lips’ (that’s how the bays are called on Solovki). The Dolgaya Lip is especially big (deep), it’s the largest bay on Solovki. The Cape Pechak is far out into the sea in the south, the Cape Treschansky is far in the north. The old monastery roads can lead you to any parts of the island; they all start from the Solovetsky monastery.

Solovki’s relief is relatively plain, but there are still some high hills in the northern part of the archipelago. The highest poin of the Solovetsky Islands are Volchy Mounatains (78 m high) The Anzer Island has the largest mountain on the archipelago – Verbokolskaya Mountain’s height is 88 m.

There are a few versions of the origin of the name of the archipelago. The word "Solua" can be translated from the Finno-Ugric languages as "island", or "earth". Some researchers associate the name with the Russian name of nightingales and "Solovtsov" – sea wave curls, but it is quite unlikely the name came from these meanings. Sergei Morozov, the historian, has an interesting version of the origin. He thought Solovki is "the place of the joint fishing" – which means "Solovetskoe." Most of the names of the other islands of the Finno-Ugric: Anzer means "elongated island"; Muksalma’s translation is the "big strait".


Environment


Solovetsky Islands have the glacial origin. 18 thousand years ago there was the last glaciation, which began to withdraw 12 thousand years ago, during this period the archipelago began to form. The bed of the Islands consists of boulders, gravel, sand and clay.

Nowadays most of the islands’ territory consists of the taiga (60%), pines and spruces grow there, mainly. Tundra can be seen on the coast of the White Sea; it has berries, mosses and "dancing" birch trees growing there. Swamps on Solovki occupy about 1/8 of the total area.

The species composition of mammals on Solovki is 4 times less than it is on the mainland. In Solovki’s forests you can find squirrels, rabbits, moose, red foxes and European red mice. Seasonally you can even see bats on Solovki. In the XX century American muskrats were brought to Solovki. Reptiles and amphibians species on Solovki are rare: the Islands only have lizards and grass frogs. There are more than 30 mosquito species and 10 species of bumblebees on the Islands, there are no encephalitis mites.

The ringed seal, beluga whale, porpoise, common seal this is not a full list of the species you can see in the waters of the archipelago. The species composition of fish is presented widely in these waters, some of them are: the White Sea herring, salmon, saffron cod, lumpfish, plaice, cod, catfish and rainbow smelt. The water area of Solovki is declared to be a state conservation area, commercial fishing and hunting animals is prohibited.

Solovki is called "Islands of the Lakes", they have more than 600 lakes, which occupy 13.5% of the total area (in Finland  lakes occupy about 8% of the territory). The biggest lake on the archipelago is called Bolshoye Krasnoe (Big Red Lake, 250 hectares), the deepest one is the Bolshoye Gremyachye (33,5 m), the Svetloye Orlovo Lake has the best clarity of water there (10 m). In the summer the lakes heat up to 18-21 C at a depth of 1.5 m. The lakes freeze in November, ice out in May.

There are more than 200 species of birds on Solovki. The most common type is the Arctic tern. Herring gulls, brown skuas, guillemots, oystercatchers and turnstones are widely spread on Solovki too. In the forests you can find cuckoos, woodpeckers, grouse and capercaillies. In the swamps - waders, ducks, gray cranes. The white-tailed eagle can be seen on the archipelago, it’s the largest predator in Russia.

There is a special microclimate on, which you have to consider when planning your trip:

- Winters are mild, autumn is warmer than spring, summer’s cold;

- High levels of humidity, frequent wind;

- Times of the year delay for 2-3 weeks;

- Frequent changes of weather.

The longest night is in December – it lasts 22 hours, the longest day is on June 22, it lasts 22 hours as well. Summer on Solovki is called the "White Nights". The average annual temperature is 1.1 C. The coldest temperature on the Islands was recorded in 1893 (- 36.5 C). The hottest day was 31 C. The coldest month on Solovki is February, its average temperature is 11 C. The average temperature of July (the warmest month) is 12 C.

Average annual rainfall is 400 to 600 mm, the average snow depth is 40 cm. There are more than 160 windy days a year; storms and hurricanes can sometimes occur. The ‘rainiest’ months are August to October. The average annual humidity is 82%.