To the left, souvenir stalls line the short road that leads, via short-cut steps, up to Valaam’s main attraction. The monastery is radiant in gleaming white and sky-blue, topped with red crosses. With a sturdy spire and five domes, it appears more Catholic than Orthodox at first glance, an impression instantly dispelled upon entering the candlelit semi-gloom. A stairway, splendidly muralled with saints, leads to an upper chapel that’s a soaring masterpiece of gilt, icons and awe.
