Putin thanks compatriots and Finland for preservation of Valaam monastery relics

Relics of the Valaam monastery stored in Finland are called to reinforce spiritual ties between the two nations, Russian President Vladimir Putin believes. According to him, we should thank Helsinki for saving the relics. Vladimir Putin has made this statement in the documentary film Valaam, which was screened at Russia 1 TV channel, RIA Novosti reports.

The head of state has called Finland a good neighbor. He has remarked that Finland helped preserve the Valaam Monastery until present times in good conditions. Vladimir Putin has reminded that everybody knows very well the attitude of the Soviet Union towards religious relics. These values were kept only because they were moved out of Russia to Finland. These relics include church utensils, various icons, and rare editions, stored in the monastery library, its archives and bells.

Vladimir Putin has added that it is necessary to thank compatriots who left Russia and preserved The Novo-Valaam Monastery and relics of Valaam.

He has underlined that the relics are valuable for the Finnish and the Russian nations equally. Finland is carefully preserving them and everybody who wishes gets a free access to them. Thus, they have turned into something, which joins the two nations in the field of religion, Russian leader believes.

Vladimir Putin often comes to Valaam. Last year he came twice to the island where the oldest Orthodox cloister of the Russian North is located.

Russkiy Mir