ORTHODOX CHURCH MUSEUM
Opened in 1957, this superb museum, the only one of its kind in Europe, bears witness to the influence of Orthodox Christianity in Karelia and more widely in Finland. The magnificent collection of icons, veritable jewels of silver and silverware, sometimes set with pearls and precious stones, comes largely from the monasteries of Valamo and Konevitsa, located on Lake Ladoga, and Petsamo, near the icy Arctic Ocean. The annexation of these territories by the USSR in 1944 led to the exile of hundreds of thousands of people. The monks saved what they could of the Orthodox treasures. On two floors, you can also admire beautiful religious objects and liturgical ornaments. See in particular the icon of the Virgin of Smolensk (1840) and the silver psalter (1762, Saint Petersburg). Also note the splendid gold-brocaded priestly vestments and the magnificent mitres. Note also the embroidered cover offered in 1551 by two bodyguards of Ivan the Terrible, a miniature iconostasis by Konevitsa (more than 200 figures painted in great detail). Also surprising are the heavy metal chains that some monks and hermits of Valamo secretly wore under their clothes. The final touch to the visit is the museum's pretty little church. Numerous permanent and temporary exhibitions also complete the collections. Cafeteria on site for a meal or coffee break.
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