Billions of roubles for Solovki
14/6/2011
Russian Gvt is allocating 10 billion rubles for infrastructural development of Solovetskie Islands (Solovki). The development programme is elaborated in cooperation with Russian Orthodox Church.
Within the programme, The Solovetsky monastery will get renovated, while the tourist infrastucture beyond the Solovetsky Archipelago is to be significantly improved.
In particular, the project implies construction of new roads, an airport, accomodation premises, a hospital, a school and a kindergarten, reports RBC Daily. In the surroundings of Letnyaya Zolotitsa settlement, there will be erected new tourist infrastructure, a mooring complex for air-cushion vessels, and 160 km of roads. In future, the 10 bln RUB programme may get expanded.
The detailed study on the development programme was facilitated by Arkhangelsk regional authorities. They claim that the project will obtain the status of the federal target program and will be valid for 5-6 years. While this decision is still pending, the Ministry of Culture reports that the program will be discussed on June 17 at a session of the guardianship board of Solovetsky monastery during the working group meeting on restoration of religion-related cultural heritage sites.
Travel agencies evidence a 5-fold increase in a number of tourists on Solovki during recent 5 years – up to 30-40 thousand people annually. Meanwhile, local accomodation prices vary in between 5,000-10,000 RUB and are growing by 10% each year.
Founded in 1429, Solovetsky Monastery is regarded as the stronghold of Russian Christianity in the High North. The turbulence of 1926–1939 turned the monastery into a prison and a labour camp, and it still keeps memories of Gulag hardships.
