Many movie lovers remember how in the legendary Soviet film the Swedish ambassador demanded that the tsar give the Kemsky volost, and practically got it. But few people know where this outlandish place is located.
Historical reference
The small town of Kem is hidden in Karelia, and today it is widely known only to tourists who are on their way to the Solovetsky Monastery. It was from here that the final stage of the journey to the Solovetsky Islands to the special-purpose camps for opponents of the political system and religious leaders began for thousands of political prisoners. For many prisoners, it was a one-way road.
The first settlements on the territory of present-day Kem appeared in the 8th century. Local tribes were engaged in small crafts, hunting and fishing. A little later, Novgorodians appeared here, who began to actively explore the northern territories, conducting trade with the local population. But a real breakthrough in the development of Kem took place after the construction of the Solovetsky Monastery here in 1429. Later, in 1450, Martha Posadnitsa gave the adjacent land (parish) and the city of Kem itself into the possession of the monastery. After that, Kem becomes the main transport artery that connects the mainland with the Solovetsky Monastery, which attracts many new residents to this region and transfers Kem from a settlement to the status of a small town.
The legendary Kemsky volost was a tasty morsel for many warlike neighbors. Throughout its history, it was repeatedly raided by Finnish and Swedish tribes, until the first prison was built on Lepostrov, which was later fortified with powerful walls and cannons. For many years the Kemsky fortress became an impregnable fort for the Swedish Vikings, despite its more than modest size.
After the defeat of the Swedish army near Poltava, Kem remained an ordinary district town, and only in 1785 it was given the official status of a city. It is noteworthy that this historical decree was personally read to the residents of the city by the famous Russian poet Derzhavin, being at that time in the rank of the Olonets governor.
Kem today
Today's Kem has preserved all the historical monuments that can shed light on the past of this region. The main attraction of the city is the Assumption Cathedral, the construction of which began in 1711 and was dedicated to the victory of the Russian troops in the Battle of Poltava. The height of the central part of the cathedral reaches 36 meters, and the architecture is designed in a style traditional for northern latitudes. The most interesting fact is that it is built without nails. In the Assumption Cathedral there is an amazing iconostasis, when the light hits it, it seems that the glow comes from the faces of the saints themselves.
Here at the beginning of the twentieth century, a stone Annunciation Church was built, which today has come to a very dilapidated state, although lovers of antiquity still visit it.
There is a small museum "Pomorie" in the city, the exposition of which is dedicated to the Kemsky volost and tells about the culture and history of the region.
Lovers of solitude will like a walk to Lepostrov, which is located on the river of the same name. Here, in a fairly quiet environment, you can see the old wooden houses, standing in narrow streets.
