The Spaso-Preobrazhensky Solovetsky Monastery is one of the largest in Russia. It is located on the Big Solovetsky Island in the White Sea, in the village of Solovetsky in the Primorsky District of the Arkhangelsk Region.

Until the 15th century, the islands were almost uninhabited due to their remoteness and harsh climate. In winter, the islands, near which warm sea currents flow, are cut off from the mainland by a thin layer of ice. In summer, fishing boats from the Pomors would come here to catch fish.

The history of the monastery began in 1429 when the venerable Savvaty and Herman arrived on the island, establishing a cross and a cell by the lake. In 1436, monk Zosima reached here, choosing the shore of the Bay of Well-Being for settlement due to its beauty.

The site for the monastery's construction turned out to be ideal, in the center of the island, between a calm sea bay and the fresh Holy Lake.

The peak of construction occurred in the mid-16th century when Philip was the abbot. Under him, stone construction began, the Assumption Refectory Church was consecrated, and the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral was completed.

By the end of the 16th century, during the reign of Ivan the Terrible and Fyodor Ioannovich, the monastery became a powerful fortress. Significant funds from the treasury were allocated for its construction, mainly for the erection of strong walls and towers. By 1594, the monastery had become the strongest border fortress in northern Russia, with a garrison, cannons, and a thousand archers, the maintenance of which was funded by the monastery.

The garrison successfully repelled attacks from the Livonians and Swedes in 1571, 1582, and 1611. In 1854, during the Crimean War, the fortress was attacked by three English ships. After a nine-hour bombardment, the English retreated without causing significant damage.

The monastery is full of vivid, but mostly tragic stories. From 1668 to 1676, the "Solovetsky Sitting" occurred, a rebellion of monks against the church reforms of Patriarch Nikon. The tsarist troops suppressed the uprising, but the monastery was devastated.

From the 16th century until 1903, the monastery served as a place of exile for enemies of the monarchy and official Orthodoxy. The monastery prison in the White Tower was known for its harsh conditions.

The Soviet government abolished the monastery. In 1923, its churches became the Solovetsky Special Purpose Camp (SLON), where White Guards and dispossessed peasants were sent, many of whom perished.

In 1990, the monastery was revived. In 1992, the relics of Zosima, Savvaty, and Herman were brought here from St. Petersburg. In 1995, the monastery was restored its historical title of Spaso-Preobrazhensky Solovetsky Stavropegic Male Monastery. It also retains the status of the Solovetsky State Historical, Architectural, and Natural Museum-Reserve, established in 1967.

From the 17th to the 19th century, the monastery was constantly being completed and rebuilt, preserving its original layout.

In 1436, monk Zosima, who became the abbot, erected a wooden Transfiguration Church. Around it, the monastery grew, to which the Novgorod Archbishop John granted a charter for eternal ownership of the Solovetsky Islands. The first wooden structures have not survived; the monastery burned down completely twice.

In 1584, by order of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich and under the guidance of monk Trifon, the construction of stone walls around the pentagonal section of the monastery began, making it impregnable. The work was carried out by serf Pomor peasants, gifted to the monastery by the tsar and boyars.

The walls were built over 10 years, reaching a height of 11 meters, and the weight of the boulders was 5-6 tons. They are considered a masterpiece of defensive architecture.

The bases of the towers are laid with huge boulders and are topped with high spires with watch platforms. Eight towers are equipped with cannons, and the walls have embrasures leading to covered wooden galleries from the inside of the monastery.

The center of the architectural composition of the monastery is the tall bell tower and three cathedrals: the Transfiguration, the Assumption, and the Trinity. In 1602, the Transfiguration Cathedral and the refectory with the Assumption Church and the Kelar Chamber were connected by a gallery, creating a unified ensemble. The gallery is made of boulders and is divided by three arches.

Later, the gallery connected all parts of the cathedral complex, including the Nikolskaya Church with the sacristy and library, the Trinity Cathedral, and the bell tower. It stands on a pedestal made of seven rows of boulders, above which rise three brick tiers. In 1797, the first tier housed the library, while the second and third tiers held 35 bells of various sizes.

Adjacent to the bell tower is the five-domed Nikolskaya Church of the 1830s, built on the site of the old church from 1577.

Behind the monastery's fortress wall were residential and economic buildings, chambers and cells, shops and storerooms, malt houses and drying houses, a hospital building, the monastery prison, the White Tower, and a water mill with warehouses.

Among the economic buildings, the two-story water mill, adjacent to the southern wall near the White Tower, is of particular interest. It was built in the 17th century and survived due to its sturdy brick construction. Its first floor housed a wheel that operated under the pressure of water from the canal connecting Holy Lake with the sea.

The hydraulic engineering structures are unique: in the 16th century, canals were dug on the islands, linking 52 lakes out of 500. The walls of the canals are lined with boulders.

The distance from the monastery to the nearest Karelia coast is about 60 km. The islands can be reached by water from Kemi and Belomorsk in Karelia, as well as from Arkhangelsk or by air from Arkhangelsk to Solovki.