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Solovjetski Islands Russia Cruise Port Guide
Location:
This is a tender port. You will be tendered to Bolshoy Solovetsky Island.
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Sightseeing:
A collection of six islands in Russia’s Onega Bay, the forest-covered Solovetsky Islands stand testament to a fascinating and sometimes cruel history. During Lenin’s era of Soviet Russia, the islands were used as the country’s first prison camp in a system known notoriously as the Gulag. But in recent years, people have been coming here on their own account, drawn by striking natural beauty, an interesting network of canals, whale watching and most especially, the Solovetsky Monastery. Situated on the shores of Prosperity Bay on Solovetsky Island, the 15th-century Christian citadel complex is hailed as a marvel of design and sheer size. Massive walls surround the numerous religious buildings, many of which feature the typical Russian-style, tapered domes. The site today is a historical and architectural museum and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of Russia’s first.
The population of Solovetsky is about 1,000 inhabitants.
Tours Excursions Transportation:
Off of the coast on Belugas Cape you can watch the majestic and graceful beluga whales breach in the summer season.
Nearby Places:
Shopping and Food
These isolated and sparsely populated islands offer few shopping opportunities.
Currency:
The official currency of Russia is the ruble, which is divided into one hundred kopeks. It is illegal to pay in foreign currency. ATM's are many.
Most upscale establishments will accept credit cards.
Communication:
Russian is the official language, English only spoken in upscale places and by the younger educated.
Email and Internet access is offered cheaply in a number of Internet cafés.
Emergency numbers Police 02; Ambulance 03; Fire 01
Opening Hours and Holidays:
Most shops open Mon-Sat 10am-7pm or later.
Holidays in Russia
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