Bolshoy Solovetsky Island
| Native name: Большой Соловецкий остров | |
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Solovetsky Monastery seen from the sea
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| Geography | |
| Location | White Sea |
| Coordinates | 65°06′N 35°41′E / 65.100°N 35.683°E |
| Archipelago | Solovetsky Islands |
| Area | 246 km2 (95 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 98.5 m (323.2 ft) |
| Highest point | Sekirnaya Mountain |
| Administration | |
| Oblast | Arkhangelsk Oblast |
Bolshoy Solovetsky Island (Russian: Большой Соловецкий остров), or simply Solovetsky Island (Russian: Соловецкий остров) is the biggest island of the Solovetsky Islands archipelago in the White Sea, northern Russia. The island is home to Solovetsky Monastery, a medieval monastery and a fortress included in the World Heritage list.
The island is located on the southwestern side of the archipelago. To the east of Solovetsky Island there are Anzersky Island and Bolshaya Muksalma Island. From the Bolshaya Muksalma side, a bay, Dolgaya Bay (Russian: Долгая Губа), several kilometers long, is connected by a narrow passage to the White Sea. Another bay in the north of the island is Sosnovaya Bay (Russian: Сосновая Губа). Solovetsky and Anzersky islands are separated by the Anzerskaya Salma strait, and Solovetsky and Bolshaya Muksalma islands are separated by two straits: Severnye Zheleznye Vorota and Yuzhnye Zheleznye Vorota (literally translated as Northern and Southern Iron Gates). Bolshoy Solovetsky and Bolshaya Muksalma Islands are connected by a dam built by the monks of the Solovetsky Monastery. There are many lakes on the island, the biggest of which is Lake Krasnoye. The area of the island is 246 square kilometres (95 sq mi), with the length and the width being 25 kilometres (16 mi) and 16 kilometres (9.9 mi), respectively. The highest point of the island is Sekirnaya Mountain (Russian: Секирная гора), 98.5 metres (323 ft) high.ost of the island is covered by coniferous forest.
The only inhabited locality on the island is the settlement of Solovetsky, which serves as the administrative center of Solovetsky District and of Solovetskoye Rural Settlement of Primorsky Municipal District of Arkhangelsk Oblast. The population of Solovetsky is about 1,000 inhabitants. The monastery is located in the settlement, on the western side of the island. In addition, there are a number of sketes, used by the monks, and several tonyas, seasonal houses on the shore, which are not used and belong to the museum.
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