Description of the attraction
By the charter of the Solovetsky Monastery, it was forbidden to breed viviparous cattle near the monks' dwellings, which is why the cattle yard that belonged to the monastery was founded on an island called Bolshaya Muksalma. Extensive flooded pastures with succulent grass have long determined the economic belonging of Muksalma. But the strait, known as the Iron Gate, separated Bolshoi Solovetsky Island and Bolshaya Muksalma Island, and significantly complicated communication between them.
One of the most notable sights of the Solovetsky Islands, as well as a unique engineering structure, is the dam that connects Bolshoy Solovetsky Island and Bolshaya Muksalma Island. Subsequently, the dam became known as the "Stone Bridge". The man-made dam personifies the titanic work done in the old days by monks.
An island called Bolshoy Solovetsky and an island called Bolshaya Muksalma are separated from each other by a large strait, which is almost a kilometer wide. The average depth is 2.5 meters. To ensure a permanent connection between these islands, regardless of weather conditions, this dam was built. The construction of this structure began in 1827. The author and leader of the construction of the dam is the peasant of the Kholmogorsk district Fyodor Sosnin, who in 1867 in Solovki was tonsured a monk under the name of Theoktist. The dam acquired its present appearance in 1865. The construction was supervised by the monk Irinarkh.
The Solovetsky Islands are rich in attractions, and the attractions of these islands are very diverse. The dam with a length of 1200 meters, at first glance, makes a double impression. First, it comes to mind that these are the ruins of a colossal structure, or a haphazard pile of stones stretching between the islands. However, if you look closely, you get a more accurate idea of this unique structure. The dam's masonry consists of huge boulder blocks covered with sand. The roadway is, on average, about six meters wide. The dam route stretches along the minimum depths of the strait and has five bends, some of which are very steep. However, the corners of the dam serve as breakwaters. The central part of this dam from the north and south is fenced by piles of stones protruding into the sea. The stones from which the dam was built are kept without mortar.
One of the sections of the dam is a bridge: here the masonry is made in the form of arches, through which the communication of both parts of the strait is carried out. The dam itself is the biggest attraction of the island of Bolshaya Muksalma.
The height of the dam is about four meters, which is a guarantee of safety during strong sea waves. And yet, during very strong storms, some waves cross the dam, while eroding the earth powder and leaving numerous algae on its surface, gradually eroding the stone in the passage arches.
However, it should be noted that the Solovetsky dam is not the first building of its kind. The first dam, 300 meters long, was built in 1828 between the islands of Bolshaya and Malaya Muksalma. This "small" dam can be seen today at low tide. In its original form, the Muksalom dam, however, just like its predecessor, was not a solid massif, but had a bridge built of wood, under which small ships could freely sail.
