In the nearly five years that I have lived in Yalta, I have been exposed to so many different cultural and historic events. The Chekov Theater in Yalta hosts dozens of these events ranging from classical symphony orchestras, contemporary orchestras, choirs, theater performances, soloists, and various choir groups from Crimea and across Russia.
The Valaam Monastery is located 200 kilometers north of St. Petersburg in the Republic of Karelia. The monastery has a professional, 5 male-voice choir which tours the world to raise money for the ongoing restoration of the buildings. We attended this packed performance on Sunday, September 15, 2024 in the historic Chekov Theater here in Yalta.
Legend has it that the first choir was made up of casualties of The Great Patriotic War, WWII. Most had lost arms and legs and had been sent to this monastery to be kept out of sight of the general population where they were kept until 1984.
Not able to “do” anything because of their inability to even feed themselves, it was found that they could sing. The Monastery of Valaam has a unique tradition of singing called the Valaam chant that combines features of Byzantine and Znamenny chants.
According to legend, there are two versions of the monastery’s origin. The first dates the foundation in the year 900 by two monks who may have come from Greece and founded a monastic brotherhood on one of the islands in Lake Ladoga.
The other version dates the foundation of the monastery in the 10th and 11th centuries. But, the relatively reliable history of the monastery is mentioned in the life of Savvaty of Solevetsky. In the “Tale of the Valaam Monastery,” the foundation is given as 1407.
Throughout the history of Valaam it has been restored from ruins many times: the barbarian raids of the Swedes in ancient times, various regional wars, the bombings during the Great Patriotic War, and its complete ruin during the Soviet Era of atheism. Yet monastic life has always returned.
The total number of inhabitants in the monastery in 2011 was 217 people, including 30-40 permanent workers.
Today, more than 100,000 pilgrims and tourists visit the monastery each year.
Valaam Monastery Choir