CREATIVE COMMUNITY SEMINAR AND SLEEPING OUTDOOR - EVENT AT VALAMO MONASTERY ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 2025
Welcome to the Creative Community Seminar at the Valamo Monastery Cultural Center on Saturday, August 30, 2025, Finnish Nature Day. The evening culminates with stargazing and the Sleep a Night Outside event in the monastery courtyard.
The event offers a diverse program that combines creation, nature conservation, theology and practical ecology, and if you wish, also the Sleep a Night Outside event.
Day's program
09:00 - 09:30: Welcome and practical ecology in the monastery
09:30 - 11:30: For Nature - Juha Kauppinen, award-winning author and journalist, talks about nature conservation, his work and books. His new book Kertomus Maasta – rausluusja klimastonmuusteen ja luontoanotoon
Kauppinen's recognition awards for his work for nature include the Great Journalist Award 2012, the Lumilapio Award 2013, the Kanava Award 2019, the Golden Feather Award 2019, the Finnish State Prize for Information Disclosure 2020 and the WSOY Literature Foundation Recognition Award 2024.
11:30 - 12:30: Buffet lunch at the Trapesa restaurant (self-funded 16€/person, payment to the restaurant) / at 12:00 at the old Moleben in the church
12:30 - 14:30: Deeper into the theology of creation - TT Ari Koponen and TT Pauliina Kainulainen
Ari Koponen is a doctor of theology, researcher, translator and writer. He is currently preparing a work on Orthodox ecotheology. “Ecotheology is today at the core of the theological and ethical thinking of the Eastern Church. It has strong ties to asceticism and nature issues. Global climate and environmental problems also challenge the Christian view of the continuation of life, the future and a sustainable lifestyle.”
Pauliina Kainulainen is a doctor of theology, a priest of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, researcher, non-fiction writer and civic activist. He is particularly known as an eco-theologist, who deals with the interaction of man, nature and spirituality in his works.
14:30 - 15:00: Valamo's nature, nature trails and tsasounas presented - nature guide and theologian Minna Koistinen https://visiteinavesi.fi/metsamieli-minna-koistinen/
15:00 - 15:45: The thanksgiving service "Glory to God for everything" will be delivered under the leadership of Archimandrite Mikael, the head of the Valamo Monastery, at the tsasounas of St. Nicholas on the shores of Lake Juojärvi
15:45 - 16:30: Guided tour of the monastery garden and local animals
16:30 - 17:00: Coffee break at the Trapesa restaurant (own expense)
17:00 - 17:45: Antti Saarelainen, Executive Director of the North Karelia District of the Finnish Nature Conservation Union, will talk about current nature conservation issues and the opportunity to participate in nature conservation work. https://www.sll.fi/
17:45 - 18:00: Summary of the day
18:00 Vigil in the main church
20:00-21:00 Valamo tea table (own expense 15€/person, payment to the restaurant)
The evening culminates with stargazing and the Sleep a Night Out event in the monastery courtyard in guided areas in your own tents and hammocks. Depending on the weather, the darkening evenings of August may offer perfect conditions for stargazing. Suomen Latu challenges you to sleep outside overnight, enjoying the fresh air and the endless starry sky.
https://www.suomenlatu.fi/nuku-yo-ulkona/etusivu/suomenlatu-huomenna-suomenlatu-ulkoilu-nukuyoulkona.html
The daily price is 20 euros / adult, including the opportunity to sleep in your own tent or hammock in the monastery courtyard on the night between Saturday and Sunday.
Breakfast outside in your own tent or hammock is 5€/person. Payment upon arrival at the reception or in the morning at the Trapesa restaurant.
Buy a ticket from Valamo's WebTuohus online store
and from Valamo's reception, tel. 017570111 or valamo@valamo.fi
If necessary, book an overnight stay at the monastery's accommodation building.
https://valamo.fi/majoitus
or
myyntipalvelu@valamo.fi
Tel. 017 570 1810
