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Cathedral of Annunciation

The Annunciation Cathedral is not only a historic monument, but is also the oldest stone building in the north of the Kola Peninsula and the very first stone building in the region.

In the Cathedral, a huge XVII century wooden cross made is kept. On the cross there is an inscription which says: "In the summer of 1655, June, on... day, this Cross is placed for all Christians to bow to ". The cross was placed by the Kola Bay, near the wharf, but in the beginning of the XIX century it was moved to the Chapel of the Gracious Saviour and now it stays in a kind of small pavilion.

According to the legend, the Cross was placed by a voevoda (a commander of forces) from Kola - Gury Ivanovich Volintsev, to honour clergyman Varlaam Neretsky who cured him of a disease. Varlaam wasn’t canonized, but all local Pomors considered him to be a saint. They believed that he saved sinking fishing-boats. Fishermen and merchants bowed to the Cross before beginning their trade, and people often thanked the Cross for good catch and for life-saving.