pure mountains

This summer I had the chance to visit the islands of the Valaam archipelago in Karelia. Lush coniferous forests, orchards, granite and basalt rocks, beautiful lakes and rivers, diverse terrain, and unafraid wildlife filled my soul with beauty. And the conscious attitude of the residents of these unique places to the ecology of their beloved land, their preservation of nature in its original form - a feeling of respect for the people who work there for the glory of God and Faith, for the benefit of nature and man.

Hundreds of seedlings for forest lands are planted on the islands every year. The health of the water area of ​​Lake Ladoga is monitored by high-tech cleaning equipment. A waste sorting plant is successfully operating on Valaam Island. The waste separated into fractions is delivered by ship to waste processing plants.

It is very interesting to read an article about how and by what methods the ecosystem is preserved on an island with a large anthropological impact: Formation of an ecosystem is not a matter of one decade.

At the call of my heart, I came to the archipelago as a volunteer. The life of the monastery dictates its own rules, I carried out the assigned “obediences” for the good of my soul and the Orthodox monastery. At some point, life slowed down and the true path of conscious
existence was built: fulfill the commandments, work, be merciful to people, take care of the world around you...

In my “journey with meaning,” I worked in the garden and in the fields, and on weekends and evenings I independently and leisurely explored the islands, interacting with nature and like-minded people. I immersed myself in history, traditions of Orthodox culture, nature of the archipelago,
practicing eco-habits (moving on foot, leaving no trash, consuming minimally).

Not chasing achievements, without my inherent multitasking, but consciously and trying very hard, I learned the basics of agricultural science. It turned out to be a very interesting science,
which includes botany, biology, agriculture, selection, and economics.

The philosophy of a “slow” life in harmony and relative solitude calls for finding time for what is really important. And it is important to believe, live in peace, be honest, respect people and help them. And it is also very important to preserve our Earth in its purity and beauty.

I was lucky enough to make my small contribution to improving our Earth on Valaam Island: planting several rescued spruce trees; cleaning up a dump on the site of demolished commercial pavilions and setting up strawberry beds there.

In this journey, the main thing was not the destination, but the process itself, its depth. The opportunity to take care not only of yourself, but of the environment and other people.