Monastères de la région du lac Blanc dans la Russie ancienne : îles au milieu des lacs, des marécages et des forêts

Abstract

Monasteries in the Belozero Lake area in Ancient Russia : islands in the middle of lakes, marshes and forests. In many monasteries in Northern Russia, and particularly in the Belozero Lake area, folklore myth and Christian symbolism intertwine between water and the island. Such places also display aesthetical elements in the Byzantine tradition. These monasteries have been built either on islands, or in the middle of marshes or forests, where they stand as «islands». They're part of a specific monastic movement, as well as of a specific approach that thrives in the hesychast thought. The island then becomes a geographical as well as a spiritual concept. The island would seem to embody an ideal as opposed to fulfilling the desire of the monks. The monasteries of the Belozero Lake area have been cultural and spiritual centres ; sometimes, they were turned into prisons or places of exile, or even outposts in this northern region. Yet they are inextricably linked to the «startsy» across the Volga and consequently to the hesychast thought.