Island

Perhaps the island of Kiy would have remained uninhabited if the life path of Hieromonk Nikon had not intertwined with it. In 1639, Nikon's ship was in distress near Kia. Miraculously avoiding death, Nikon placed a bowing cross on the island. 13 years later, by the will of fate, Nikon again visited the island, where he erected a chapel.

In 1656, already being patriarch, Nikon asked the tsar to allocate funds for the construction of a monastery in the name of the Exaltation of the Cross on the island of Kiy. Thus was founded the Onega Cross Monastery, which at the end of the nineteenth century was looted by the British, after which it fell into desolation for a long time.

Since 1924, a recreation center has been operating on the island of Kiy. The island has picturesque views and a unique atmosphere.