Heinävesi, North Karelia, Finland, September 11, 2025
ort.fi
The cenotaph of Sts. Sergius and Herman of Valaam, founders of the Transfiguration of the Savior Valaam Monastery in Russia, was transferred on September 9 from the Orthodox RIISA Museum in Kuopio to the Transfiguration of the Savior New Valaam Monastery in Heinävesi, North Karelia.
Following the installation of the cenotaph in the Church of Sts. Sergius and Herman of Valaam (known as the Winter Church), a moleben was held before it in honor of the saints, reports the Finnish Orthodox Church.
The body of the cenotaph was made from gilded forged silver in 1823, the icons on the lid were created in 1882, and the lid itself was made in 1896. The cenotaph measures 7.5 x 4.5 x 3 ft. and weighs more than 220 pounds.
The cenotaph before it was returned to the monastery. Photo: ort.fi
In 1939, along with the monastery’s inhabitants and most of the Valaam Monastery’s furnishings, the cenotaph was evacuated deep into Finland. Since 1968, it had been displayed as part of the permanent exhibition at the Orthodox RIISA Museum. In 2020, New Valaam’s council appealed to the museum board requesting the transfer of the cenotaph to the monastery. In May of this year, the request was approved.
The abbot of New Valaam Monastery, Archimandrite Mikael (Nummela), expressed joy at the cenotaph’s arrival:
The cenotaph will express in a very concrete way the presence of our monastery’s founders. According to tradition, it was originally located at the place where they were buried. We are glad that it has been transferred to Valaam and that it will find liturgical use. Molebens will be regularly held before the cenotaph.
The monastery’s Sts. Sergius and Herman Church celebrates its patronal feast today—for the first time before the cenotaph of the saints.
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