Yashëzero between lakes and a monastery landmark

• The monastery is a listed monument of monumental church architecture in the village of Yashëzero.
• It lies between Lakes Monastyrskoye and Yashezero, on the west shore of Yashezero.
• The complex is in a severely dilapidated state; you should not assume that it is open to the public.

The precise description of its shoreside location makes the setting clearer: the monastery is not simply situated somewhere by lakes, but on a narrow isthmus between Monastyrskoye and Yashezero, on the west shore of the latter. This connects the listed monument with a clearly defined landscape. At the same time, it is a monument, not a confirmed visitor attraction. Given its severe state of disrepair, do not assume public access; check in advance whether a visit is possible.

In Zheltozero, in the wider Prionezhskiy rayon, the Rurik-Lonin Vepsian Ethnographic Museum is dedicated to the material and spiritual culture of the Vepsians. It is the only museum in Russia with this focus and has been housed in the Melkin House since 1991. The house was built in the second half of the 19th century for the large, wealthy Vepsian peasant family, the Melkins. The museum offers the one-hour excursion “Zheltozero – an old Vepsian village.” Its duration provides a specific timeframe for this activity.

The Church of the Apostle Matthew in Zheltozero is also part of the cultural history of Prionezhskiy rayon. The stone, single-nave church has one altar and was built in 1838 by St. Petersburg merchants Terenty Ulyanov and Mikhail Matveev. It was expanded and renovated in the 1910s, and reconsecrated on November 16, 1913. The building was later converted for use as a club. The museum and the church thus represent different aspects of regional history: Vepsian culture on the one hand, and a building history with specific dates on the other.

In the wider Prionezhskiy rayon, a group of prehistoric sites near Zheltozero comprises 14 settlements and two burial grounds. It spans from the Mesolithic to the Bronze Age, from the 7th to the 2nd millennium BC. Another archaeological landmark is the cultural monument “Zheltozero Shore”: it includes 31 prehistoric settlements, three burial complexes, and four individual graves from periods ranging from the Mesolithic to the Middle Ages. This complex is located in the lower reaches of the Zheltozjorka and Sarbakhta rivers. Its time span therefore extends further than that of the group near Zheltozero.

The “Onega Lake Shore” natural and recreational area in Prionezhskiy rayon covers 65.6 hectares, all of which belongs to the forest fund. Its purposes include protecting and restoring the natural landscapes and resources along Lake Onega, as well as recreation, health-promoting activities, and ecotourism and nature tourism. The recreational areas of Prionezhskiy rayon also include sandy beaches, pine forests, forest products, and river rapids.

The Shoksha quarries are also part of the region’s history. Raspberry-colored and red quartzite has been mined there since the late 18th century, initially for St. Petersburg and its suburbs. Since the 20th century, the stone has also been quarried for Moscow and other cities. This history adds an industrial dimension to the archaeological and cultural themes of Prionezhskiy rayon.

Discover more destinations: Belomorsk, Uya, Lakhkolampi, Kotkozero, Yushkozero, Ustye Tuloksy, Pedaselga, Konchezero.

Where is the monastery in Yashëzero?

It lies on a narrow isthmus between Lakes Monastyrskoye and Yashezero, on the west shore of Yashezero.

Is the monastery open to the public?

Do not assume that it is open to the public. Given its severe state of disrepair, check in advance whether a visit is possible.

Which excursion is offered in Prionezhskiy rayon?

The Rurik-Lonin Vepsian Ethnographic Museum in Zheltozero offers the one-hour excursion “Zheltozero – an old Vepsian village.”

For the wider travel overview: Republic of Karelia.