There's an interesting piece in today's New York Times about the Solovetsky Islands, an area rich in Russian religious and political history.

The six islands, which are also known as Soloviki, are part of Arkhangelsk oblast, which I wrote about a few weeks back.

Six hundred years ago, the islands became the home of the some Russian Orthodox monks and over the centuries, Solovetsky Monastery became a key religious site and one of the wealthiest landowners in the Russian far north. But when the Soviet Union came into being, the anti-religion government closed the monastery and for a time turned the islands into a forced labor camp.

The monks are back in residence now at the Solovetsky Monastery, but, the Times story relates, their world is now colliding with that of 21st century tourism. A woman by the name of Maria Smirnova is operating an adventure tourism company on the White Sea islands, and the monks are not pleased. They are petitioning the Russian government to reassume control of the monastery and other sites on the islands, saying business and holy places cannot co-exist.

That's sort of an interesting position, because other sources that I read about the Solovetsky Monastery indicate that the monks ran quite a tidy empire here for a while. The monastery operated salt works, fisheries, iron works and presided over a fur trapping business as well.

The monastery, from everything I've read, could be a standout in educating visitors about life in the Middle Ages. There are, surprisingly, not many photos of the Solovetsky Islands on the photo-sharing site Flickr, but they show a well-preserved walled city and fortifications that repelled attacks by Swedish and English forces.

The Times story balances many views about the Solovetsky Islands' future, from the monks to the tour operators and notes that tourism--religious, political or ecological--could provide a needed boost to the islands' economy. It's worth reading.

Photo image, credit: Solovetsky Monastery, baccarita

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