Аннотация

The present article has its objective to reveal the role of Valaam Monastery in the organization of the First Orthodox Mission in North America. Valaam Monastery was restored at the end of the 18th century with the support of Metropolitan Gavriil and due to the efforts of the Father Superior Nazary. In our opinion, Valaam Monastery was the one that truly preserved the strictness of its inner life after reforms of Catherine II. The Rules of Valaam monastery patterned the ones of Sarov Hermitage. They catechized the community to lead a hermit and scete life. Many of those traditions were later brought to Alaska and California. For instance, one of the peculiarities of Valaam monks in North America was their habit to build cells at a big distance from one another. It is important to investigate the role of Valaam Monastery in the initial phase of the development of Russian colonies in the Pacific North-West.