Description of the attraction
The Holy Ascension Skete was built in 1857 on the Solovetsky Islands, on the site of a previously existing chapel, which was built in honor of one of the miracles with angels. The completion of the construction of the skete took place in 1862. A circular road was laid along the rather steep slopes of the mountain, leading to the highest point, on which the Ascension Church was located. At the top of Sekirnaya Gora, a three-tier temple was built according to the project of the talented architect Shakhlarev, while the chapel in the name of the Miracle of the Archangel Michael in Khonekh was located in the lower tier, the holy throne in the name of the Ascension of the Lord was in the middle tier, and a bell tower was built on the upper tier. The wedding of the church was carried out in the form of a sea lighthouse, which is clearly visible from the sea even at a distance of 60 km. The height of the highest point of the temple from the base of the mountain is about 100 m. From the north-east of the church there is a small observation deck, from where a beautiful scenic view of the northern part of the island, the Isakovskaya desert and the Savvatievsky skete opens.
After some time, a two-story wooden cell building was attached to the church from the south-western side, and a bathhouse was built slightly below, on a small semi-mountain, vegetable gardens and other necessary outbuildings were arranged. This is how the foundation of the Holy Ascension Skete took place under Archimandrite Porfiry.
Throughout the 19th century, the monastery was incredibly rich as a result of a variety of economic activities. The monks themselves built ships, steamers and just sailing schooners, which were manned by a monastic crew. The ships carried out regular cargo and passenger flights from Onega Bay and Arkhangelsk. In 1904, the lighthouse was overhauled and equipped with a new French lens. Even in modern times, the lighthouse is still in use.
During 1923-1939, there was a Solovetsky special-purpose camp at the monastery, located on Sekirnaya Gora. In it, even in the winter season, the prisoners were without outerwear, and few endured sophisticated torture, because they were sent to this place not to serve their sentences, but to die. Many documentary facts about the camp have been lost, although it is known that at the end of the 20s of the XX century there were about 25-30 thousand prisoners on the Solovetsky Islands.
In 1939, the Training Detachment of the North Sea Fleet settled on the islands, and during the years 1942-1945, a school for young men operated. The Solovetsky Islands also housed a military hospital, a machine-gun company, batteries and much more. Today, about 1200 people live here, as well as more than 20 private enterprises and various institutions.
In the early 1970s, the government drew attention to the Solovetsky Monastery as a unique monument of architecture and history, which had not functioned for more than 50 years. At this time, the monastery became a museum-reserve. On October 25, 1990, a meeting of the Holy Synod was held, at which it was decided to give a new life to the Solovetsky Monastery. The first liturgy in the renovated monastery was held on the feast of the Ascension of the Lord, which took place in 1992.
In the summer of August 21, 1992, at the base of Sekirnaya Gora, a little north of the skete, the Holy Archimandrite Patriarch Alexy II consecrated the Bowing Cross in the name of the Confessors and New Martyrs of Solovetsky, and also held a memorial service for people who suffered in these places for their faith in Christ.
In 2003, the activity of the Holy Ascension Skete on Mount Sekirnaya was fully restored. Hieromonk Matthew Romanchuk was appointed as the head of the hermitage. During 2005-2008, repair and restoration work was carried out in the Holy Ascension Church, as well as side-by-side murals in the name of the Miracle of the Archangel Michael were restored, and restoration work began in the cell building.
