Solovetsky Islands - Bastion of God, Russia (175/418)

The Solovetsky archipelago is composed of six islands in the western part of the White Sea, covering 300 square kilometres. Inhabited since the 5th century B.C., important traces of human life from as far back as the 3rd millennium B.C. can be found there. Since the 15th century, the archipelago has been the site of fervent monastic activity, and several churches, constructed between the 16th and 19th centuries still remain.