URN:NBN:fi:tsv-oa7031 DOI: 10.11143/7031 The island monastery of Valaam in Finnish homeland tourism: Constructing a “Thirdspace” in the Russian borderlands
The Orthodox island monastery of Valaam in Russian Karelia is today a popular destination for Finnish tourists visiting Russia’s western borderlands. Many of these tourists are descendants of the Karelians who had evacuated the area following World War II. The monastery’s institutionally sanctioned...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Geographical Society of Finland
2013-06-01
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| Series: | Fennia: International Journal of Geography |
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| Online Access: | http://ojs.tsv.fi/index.php/fennia/article/view/7031/6253 |
| _version_ | 1811254921099476992 |
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| author | Mikula, Maja |
| author_facet | Mikula, Maja |
| author_sort | Mikula, Maja |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Orthodox island monastery of Valaam in Russian Karelia is today a popular destination for Finnish tourists visiting Russia’s western borderlands. Many of these tourists are descendants of the Karelians who had evacuated the area following World War II. The monastery’s institutionally sanctioned genealogies construct it as the civilizing force, which had brought Christian enlightenment to the local heathen population. This discursive template is played out in the way the place is presented to visitors, with each highlight telling a carefully constructed story that promotes the monastery’s significance for the Russian religious and national identity. Yet, drawing on lived experience, as well as on popular culture, family lore and meanings from collective memory, the Finnish visitors break the monolithic official discourse and produce a complex “thirdspace” in their own measure. This paper is based on participant observation and semi-structured interviews conducted during a homeland visit to Ladogan Karelia in June 2010. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T17:14:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4873d1f7fa77465789356697ec410c6c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0015-0010 1798-5617 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T17:14:48Z |
| publishDate | 2013-06-01 |
| publisher | Geographical Society of Finland |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Fennia: International Journal of Geography |
| spelling | doaj.art-4873d1f7fa77465789356697ec410c6c2022-12-22T03:23:40ZengGeographical Society of FinlandFennia: International Journal of Geography0015-00101798-56172013-06-011911142410.11143/7031URN:NBN:fi:tsv-oa7031 DOI: 10.11143/7031 The island monastery of Valaam in Finnish homeland tourism: Constructing a “Thirdspace” in the Russian borderlandsMikula, MajaThe Orthodox island monastery of Valaam in Russian Karelia is today a popular destination for Finnish tourists visiting Russia’s western borderlands. Many of these tourists are descendants of the Karelians who had evacuated the area following World War II. The monastery’s institutionally sanctioned genealogies construct it as the civilizing force, which had brought Christian enlightenment to the local heathen population. This discursive template is played out in the way the place is presented to visitors, with each highlight telling a carefully constructed story that promotes the monastery’s significance for the Russian religious and national identity. Yet, drawing on lived experience, as well as on popular culture, family lore and meanings from collective memory, the Finnish visitors break the monolithic official discourse and produce a complex “thirdspace” in their own measure. This paper is based on participant observation and semi-structured interviews conducted during a homeland visit to Ladogan Karelia in June 2010.http://ojs.tsv.fi/index.php/fennia/article/view/7031/6253homeland tourismValaamKareliaFinlandRussiaborderlands“thirdspace” |
| spellingShingle | Mikula, Maja URN:NBN:fi:tsv-oa7031 DOI: 10.11143/7031 The island monastery of Valaam in Finnish homeland tourism: Constructing a “Thirdspace” in the Russian borderlands Fennia: International Journal of Geography homeland tourism Valaam Karelia Finland Russia borderlands “thirdspace” |
| title | URN:NBN:fi:tsv-oa7031 DOI: 10.11143/7031 The island monastery of Valaam in Finnish homeland tourism: Constructing a “Thirdspace” in the Russian borderlands |
| title_full | URN:NBN:fi:tsv-oa7031 DOI: 10.11143/7031 The island monastery of Valaam in Finnish homeland tourism: Constructing a “Thirdspace” in the Russian borderlands |
| title_fullStr | URN:NBN:fi:tsv-oa7031 DOI: 10.11143/7031 The island monastery of Valaam in Finnish homeland tourism: Constructing a “Thirdspace” in the Russian borderlands |
| title_full_unstemmed | URN:NBN:fi:tsv-oa7031 DOI: 10.11143/7031 The island monastery of Valaam in Finnish homeland tourism: Constructing a “Thirdspace” in the Russian borderlands |
| title_short | URN:NBN:fi:tsv-oa7031 DOI: 10.11143/7031 The island monastery of Valaam in Finnish homeland tourism: Constructing a “Thirdspace” in the Russian borderlands |
| title_sort | urn nbn fi tsv oa7031 doi 10 11143 7031 the island monastery of valaam in finnish homeland tourism constructing a thirdspace in the russian borderlands |
| topic | homeland tourism Valaam Karelia Finland Russia borderlands “thirdspace” |
| url | http://ojs.tsv.fi/index.php/fennia/article/view/7031/6253 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mikulamaja urnnbnfitsvoa7031doi10111437031theislandmonasteryofvalaaminfinnishhomelandtourismconstructingathirdspaceintherussianborderlands |