Something about islands

Why is Lake Seliger considered to be something special and unique? Because of a wide variety of reasons and first of them is its nature. The lake itself and the landscape around are second to none. Just look at these pictures and make sure of that.

Photo credit: http://edwardjournal.livejournal.com

Photo credit: http://edwardjournal.livejournal.com

Except the fact that it is very big (about 77 km), it also has one interesting peculiarity – islands. Actually a lot of them! Absolutely different ones! Some are so large that even several villages or a town locate there. Some are very small and desert but full of wild animals.

There is ancient monastry on one of Seliger islands.
Read this article if you want to know more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolobny_Island
Photo credit: http://edwardjournal.livejournal.com

The Nilov Monastry is a very popular place with both tourists and pilgrims
Photo credit: http://edwardjournal.livejournal.com

Part of original wall and gate
Photo credit: http://edwardjournal.livejournal.com

The statue of Saint Nilus and the building of the cathedral
Photo credit: http://edwardjournal.livejournal.com

This island is the second biggest one among the Seliger islands
And yes, there is a town
Photo credit: http://www.mytravelbook.org/objects/gorodomlja/

Here it is
Photo credit: http://www.mytravelbook.org/objects/gorodomlja/

You may wonder how people get there. Here is the answer - by this amazing ferry
Photo credit: http://www.ostashkov.ru/foto/view-10241/

Do you see this island in a picture? How would you describe it: small, medium, or big? Is there a village?

I know, it's not a best photo but it's all I have.
So the island is in the middle. What do you think of it?

Once about a century or two ago there was a quite large village that included 100 houses! Can you imagine? It is told that the island shrank and a part of its previous mainland is under the water now, but it is difficult to say for sure. Maybe the island is still the same size, just our idea of comfort has changed, that’s why we can’t imagine people were able to live like that. The houses were so closed to each other that they almost adjoin one another.

Something like that. But originally this photo depicts another Seliger village, Polnovo, in 1914.
Source: http://polnovoadm.ru/istoriya.html

And what happened then? What was expected to happen – the fire. It destroyed the whole village. But the people were safe. After the accident they decided to abandon the island and build a new village, that time along the shore.

This new village along the shore nowadays
Photo credit: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/108522287

You may wonder if anyone lives there now. Yes, several families do, but only in the summertime. They even built a small church there.

An old house on the island but still inhabited

However, most part of the island is completely desolate. There is no central electricity, and you can get one only using a diesel generator. I think someone can call it romantic. Well, maybe it is.