Chapels

Chapel

A tsasouna is a small sanctuary, typically without a separate altar room. In Karelia, there was a tsasouna in almost every village, and many lay services, known as hourly services, were held in them. The name tsasouna comes from a Russian word meaning moment or hour.

Chapel of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker

The chapel, completed in 1987 near the monastery's boat pier, is consecrated to the memory of Saint Nicholas, known as the helper of seafarers and all those in distress. The chapel's patronal feast is celebrated on May 9th. In the Western tradition, Archbishop Nikolaos of Myra in Lycia, who lived in the 5th century, is also known as the prototype of Santa Claus.

The log chapel, richly decorated with wood carvings, is largely a replica of a prayer house located before the wars in the village of Mantsinsaari, Salmi parish, Ladoga Karelia. It was built there out of gratitude by the islanders who were saved from maritime distress on Lake Ladoga in the mid-19th century. The chapel was built by Nikolai Jokiniemi, and the icons on its end wall were painted by Maila Mäkinen. Their subjects are Christ Pantocrator, Valamo Mother of God, and Saint Nicholas saving those in maritime distress. The chapel also has icons of the Transfiguration of Christ and the Venerable Saints Sergei and Herman of Valamo, as well as two older icons received as gifts from the inhabitants of Salmi parish, adorned with rizas: Christ Pantocrator and Saint Nicholas.

Herman of Alaska's Chapel

The chapel near the monastery cemetery, completed in 1981, is dedicated to the memory of Saint Herman of Alaska. Saint Father Herman was a monk of Valamo who moved to Alaska for missionary work at the end of the 18th century. He was canonized, or added to the ranks of saints, in 1970, and his feast day is celebrated annually on August 9th.

The subjects of the new icons on the end wall of the chapel, which echoes Karelian wooden church architecture, are Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk, the Deposition from the Cross, the Intercession Group, the Resurrection of Christ, and Saint Herman of Alaska. The icons on the side walls depicting Saint John the Baptist and the Presentation of the Virgin Mary in the Temple were painted in the 19th century. The small icon of Saint Herman of Alaska was painted in 2000 by Schema-monk Vasili, later known as hieromonk Vladimir.

Chapel of Saint John the Forerunner and Baptist

In June 2006, a chapel designed by architect Sakari Siitonen was consecrated at the monastery, dedicated to the memory of the birth of Saint John the Forerunner and Baptist. The chapel's patronal feast is celebrated on June 24th.

Built at the initiative of the Friends of Valamo and funded by individual friends of the monastery and the Friends of Valamo, the chapel is located in the immediate vicinity of the monastery cemetery, near the grave of Saint John of Valamo. The chapel also honors the memory of Saint Father John, who struggled for a long time in the Skete of John the Baptist of Valamo Monastery of Lake Ladoga. Schema-Igumen John was canonized, or added to the ranks of saints, in 2018. His relics were moved to the main church of the monastery in 2019. Before his canonization, he was known as Schema-Igumen John.

The icons of the Kazan Mother of God, Christ Not-Made-by-Hands, and Saint John the Forerunner in the chapel were painted by His Eminence Bishop Arseni of Joensuu. The icon of the Nativity of Saint John the Forerunner was painted by architect Sakari Siitonen.

Chapel of Saint Seraphim of Sarov

Along the small private road passing the monastery cemetery, on the edge of an area called the prayer forest, stands the log chapel of Saint Seraphim of Sarov. The chapel was originally built by Risto Ikäheimo for his leisure home in Tuusniemi, who donated it to Valamo Monastery in 2024. The chapel was moved to its current location in the autumn of 2024, and it will be consecrated in its new location on July 19, 2025, by His Eminence Metropolitan Arseni of Kuopio and Karelia. In its original location in Tuusniemi, the chapel was consecrated on July 19, 1993, by His Eminence Archbishop Johannes of Karelia and All Finland. The sanctuary is log-built and was designed by architect Sakari Siitonen in accordance with 18th-century Karelian tradition. The onion dome on the roof was made by Niilo Jokiniemi at Valamo Monastery in 1993. The icons of Christ, the Theotokos, and Saint Seraphim of Sarov on the back wall of the chapel were painted by Jyrki Pouta, who also painted the smaller icon of Saint Seraphim of Sarov on the central analogion. The annual patronal feast of the chapel is celebrated on the feast day of Saint Seraphim of Sarov on July 19.

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