Svyatozero is a village (“poselok”) located 15 km south from Pryazha, on the northern coast of Svyatozero lake.
The name of this lake and the village takes its origin from the name of a small island with “a Holy Grove” of ancient spruces. There has been a chapel (“chyasovnya”) since olden times.
According to the legend, Peter the Great was interested in these so unusually high spruces. The peasants told him that the island was holy as well as the forest, and anyone who would have damaged even one tree would be punished. Peter decided to make sure of it, and started cutting one of the trees, but the blade of his ax was just slipping down the tree. Peter was amazed by this unusual strength of the tree. Soon he felt unwell, but cured and pledged to build a chapel of Peter and Paul, the Apostles. Peter the Great kept his promise and the chapel was built.
One can take a trip round Svyatozero’s old and deserted villages where ancient peasants’ log houses ("izba") and churches ("tserkov") are still remained. These are so called “Svyatozero necklace”.
The old Petropavloskaya chapel (“chasovnya”, Peter and Paul the Apostles) in Svyatozero is of great interest. It looks like a chapel in the village of Kokkoila, with a porch, which is not built separately, but included into common roof of the building.
The pediment of western wall is supported by carved fluted pillars. The lower part of the porch is covered by a partitition wall.
There is a museum in the village, which has celebrated its 5th anniversary in 2003. The museum is placed in a preschool institution of the village. Different utensils are shown in the 1st room: agricultural instruments, fishing nets, different goods made of birch bark (“beresta”), a loom. Karelian peasants used such looms for weaving and then bleached linen on the snow to make towels, table-clothes and bedclothes.
On a small desk there are photographs of prewar Svyatozero and its inhabitants taken in 1926-1929 by Zolotarev D.L.
The other room is a replica of Karelian “gornitsa” (a room) with all its household goods: homespun rugs (“dorozhka”) on the floor, icons and icon-lamps (“lampadka”) in the place of honour (so called “red corner”), a forged chest (or a box, “syndyk”) near the wall, and a big table in the center of the room, covered by a table-cloth with Karelian ornament. Household goods were collected due to the efforts of the entire village.
The houses built in early XX have also been preserved. Their condition is not so satisfactory, but they still serve their masters as they did many years ago.
Hospitable Svyatozero’s inhabitants offer their guests to take a steam bath (go to “banya”). One can find medicinal blue clay on the banks of the lake.
