Lavozero

Lyavozero is a fresh lake of glacial origin, located in the central part of the Murmansk region in the Lovozersky district, near the shore of the Barents Sea. The height above sea level is almost 217 meters. The length of the lake is about 17 kilometers, and the area is just over 38 square kilometers, making it the 18th largest in the Murmansk region.

The lake belongs to the water system of the Barents Sea and is connected to it by the flowing Kharlovka River.

The shape is elongated, uneven. Throughout the lake there are many small peninsulas, gentle islands and bays. The western and northern shores are swamped. The eastern shore opposite is very dry, covered with birch forest.

In the east, the surrounding hills have a height of no more than 250 meters (mountains Chumasaikaint and Etkapahn). The east and west coasts are rich in gold. Large picturesque streams flow into the lake, flowing from the local mountains - the Mitrei-Yakov river, the Kitkovasvuay stream and the Izya stream.

However, there are no settlements here. Until the twentieth century, the Sami lived on the shores. The northern shore is notable for its historical monument – the Chapel of the Nativity of Christ. This is a wooden church, long abandoned. Neither its builders nor the date of construction are known.