Solovetski Islands

Solovetski Islands

Solovetski Islands , archipelago, c.150 sq mi (390 sq km), N European Russia, in the White Sea at the entrance of Onega Bay. A monastery, built in the first half of the 15th cent., is on the largest island. It was used as a military fortress against Sweden in the 16th and 17th cent., and the early settlement and economic development of the Karelo-Murmansk area was from there. From the reign of Ivan IV until 1956 the islands were a dreaded place of exile for criminals and for political and religious prisoners; during Soviet rule, some 40,000 prisoners died (1923–39) there. Solovetski forced-labor camps produced lumber, peat, and building stone. The islands were declared a natural and historical preserve in 1974.

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Solovets Islands

Solovets Islands (Solovetskiye Ostrova), Russia A group of islands in the Beloye More ‘White Sea’ with a name meaning ‘Island’ from the Lapp word suolov.

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JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Solovets Islands." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Solovets Islands." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-SolovetsIslands.html

JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Solovets Islands." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-SolovetsIslands.html

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