For the majority, the Solovetsky Islands are in tune, primarily with the Solovetsky Monastery. The place is not a mass visit by tourists. But among Christian pilgrims it is significant or even sacred. But we, as always, are interested in traces of ancient technologies and the buildings themselves. There are such traces in this place too.
If you do not delve into the views of the plastered brick walls of the monastery, but look at the walls and towers made of huge cobblestones, then the questions arise: how were the monks able to collect such huge stones, transport, and even more so put them? What drove them? Even the thought slips: did the monks build it in general? Some stones weighing 5-10 tons. It is easier to collect smaller stones and use them in buildings. And there are such examples there too:
A wall of smaller stones.
Another large-scale construction on the island is the canals between the numerous lakes:
Promotional video:
There are a lot of photos of the channels. Their width is from 2 to 15 meters. Cobblestones and large stones. Even bridges with brick supports were made through some earlier. In general, a strange combination of large cobblestones and bricks. The brick was clearly imported. There are no clay pits for their production.
It turns out that the canal system on the island is something of the impossible. There are about 90 canals that take water from the Holy Lake and supply it to the monastery system. But they are not open, but covered with multi-ton granite blocks and vaults of rubble stone. I came across very interesting photos from a specialist who visited there. I suggest you watch and ask questions.
Going down into one of these canals, the motley building materials are immediately striking: in the foreground - bricks (and in the water), and in the back - rectangular (processed) granite blocks. Granite, at least two rows high. The impression is that brickwork is already something later. Otherwise, according to all logic, the builders would have laid out the first layers of granite, and put a brick on top.
The smooth edges of the granite blocks are visible.
This photograph makes me dissonant. Why process granite blocks with such high quality and use a simple rubble stone right there without even the slightest hint of processing? The impression is that the builders used the remains of something older for their own water supply needs. Either they used blocks from an older structure or restored this culvert.
I think that once it was just an open channel lined with granite along the banks. But so that it would not freeze so quickly, it was covered with stone vaults during the construction of the monastery. Perhaps this helped and the water from the canal could be used until deep winter (until it finally froze over).
Who can explain the proximity of such a difference in building approaches: to use multi-ton granite blocks with smooth edges and immediately make vaults over them from rubble stone? How did the monks cut and work granite? Manually? Do pits first, chipped off and then polished? Also a question - why? After all, all the same, the blocks will be under water or underground and no one will see them. No, their quality is like that of the granite embankment of the Neva in St. Petersburg. I think the monks were rebuilding an older system.
It turns out that there is a place where high-quality granite masonry from multi-ton blocks comes to the surface:
High-tech masonry coexists with rubble stone masonry, albeit large. Against the background of all buildings, including the fortress and the brick monastery, this masonry looks at least illogical in this place. I have not seen information about this level of granite processing by monks. And the monastery was built by the monks headed by Saint Philip in the period 1420-30. according to modern chronology.
The same high-quality blocks are used in the Solovetsky dry dock:
Where did these massive blocks come from? There are no large-scale quarries on the island. Or are some of the lakes flooded quarries from the past?
In general, why did the representatives of the Orthodox Church, even before the split, need to climb to this island and found a monastery? Because of the salt fishing? Or was it once an ancient fortress? But why was it erected from the southern side of the island, and not from the northern, to view the approaches to Arkhangelsk of the enemy fleet? As always - some questions.
Author: sibved