3,000 BCE
- primitive fishing and hunting tribes reach the islands, first temporary settlement appears on Anzer Island.

2,000 – 1,000 BCE
- creation on Solovetsky Islands of sanctuaries and settlements by tribes from the southern and western shores of the White Sea.

10th – 11th centuries CE
- Scandinavian excursions into the White Sea.

12th – 13th centuries CE
- early Russian colonisers settle the White Sea shores.

Early 15th century
- Solovki incorporated into landholding of a Karelian lady called Khovra Toivutova

1427
- death of Saint Cyril of Belozersk, founder of the famous monastery where Saint Savvaty took the tonsure. Not long afterwards Savvaty goes to Valaam where he spent several years, then secretly leaving the monastery to return to the White Sea where he meets Saint German.

27 September 1435
- death of Saint Savvaty, Solovetsky miracle worker.

Second quarter of 15th century
- establishment of monastic settlement on Solovki. The Lives of the Solovetsky Fathers (Solovetksy Paterik) dates the arrival of Savvaty and German on Bolshoi Solovetsky Island as 1429. The foundation date of the monastery itself is usually considered to be 1436, the year in which Saint Zosima appeared on Solovki.

1460’s
- charter grants the Solovetsky Monastery land on the islands belonging to the ruler of Veliky Novgorod. Wooden churches built: church of the Transfiguration, Nikolskaya and Dormition with a refectory.

17 April 1478
- death of Saint Zosima, Solovetsky miracle worker.

1478
- following a successful campaign into Kayanskaya land , the monastery acquires a bell founded in Germany, one of the oldest military war trophies in Russia.

1479
- death of Saint German, Solovetsky miracle worker.
- John III Vasilievich’s charter granted to the Solovetsky Monastery confirms the Novgorod charter.

Turn of 16th century
- hegumen Dosifei is father superior, a traveller and great bibliophile, creator of the first book of the Lives of Saints Zosima and Savvaty, Solovetsky miracle workers.

1514
- first Solovetsky Monastery census, one of the earliest such documents. Emergence of Solovetsky Monastery as significant among the monasteries of Muscovy Rus.

1534–1548
- hegumen Alexei Yurenev is father superior; during his time Saint Philip (Fyodor Kolychev) admitted to the brethren. He was to become a future hegumen of the monastery and metropolitan of All Rus.

1530’s – 1550’s
- Ivan the Terrible gives the monastery several charters granting it holdings and concessions.

1547
- canonisation of Saints Zosima and Savvaty, Solovetsky miracle workers.

1548
- Saint hegumen Philip becomes father superior.

Mid-16th century
- stone construction programme at monastery under hegumen Philip

1554
- hegumen Artemy, former father superior of the Trinity-St Sergius Monastery, exiled to Solovki – first recorded use of Solovki as place of imprisonment.

1550’s – 1560’s
- period of intensive development of the monastery’s economic activity on the islands and on its mainland properties, construction of roads, canals, harbours and other developments on the islands.

15 August 1557
- consecration of newly stone-built Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God and refectory and cellarer’s quarters.

1566
- completion of Cathedral of the Transfiguration;
- hegumen Philip inaugurated as metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia;
- arrival of English expeditionary force on Solovki.

1586
- Saint Philip deposed as metropolitan and exiled to the Otroch Monastery in Tver.

23 December 1569
- martyrdom of Saint Philip.

17 August 1571
- death of the Blessed Theodorite Kolsky, a monk tonsured at the Solovetsky Monastery and missionary to the Lopar people.

1571
- arrival of Swedish warships in the White Sea.

1578
- voivode (military commander) Mikhail Ozerov sent to Solovki.

1579
- wooden stockade built on Solovki;
- voivode Mikhail Ozerov killed in an encounter with the Swedes.

1582–1592
- hegumen Jacob, outstanding Solovetsky bibliophile, is father superior.

1582
- construction started on stone monastery fortress.

1591
- relics of Saint Philip transferred from Otroch Monastery in Tver to Solovki.

1605–1613
- hegumen Antony the Second is father superior. Thanks to the efforts of the Solovetsky Monastery and inhabitants of Northern Karelia, the White Sea area manages to survive as part of Muscovy state during the Time of Troubles.

1614 -1615
- Saint Eleazar of Anzer begins his life of retreat and solitude.

1614–1626
- Saint hegumen Irinarch is father superior. Construction of new fortifications and stone-built cells on Solovki.

1620
- foundation of the Holy Trinity Skete on Anzer Island.

1626 – 13 September 1627
- death in the monastery of Avraamy Palitsyn, famous writer in the early 17th century tonsured on Solovki and latterly cellarer of the Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra.

1633
- the Holy Trinity Skete on Anzer granted independence from the Solovetsky Monastery by charter of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich.

1635
- unusually high sea level results in flooding of the lower floors of monastery buildings, the water reaches the entrance of the Transfiguration cathedral.

Late 1630’s
- future patriarch Nikon tonsured at the Holy Trinity Skete on Anzer.

1637
- Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich orders that there should be no voivode in the monastery, the father superior takes over the defence of the western White Sea area.

1651
- Solovetsky hegumen Iliya promoted to archimandrite. Henceforth all Solovetsky superiors are accorded this status.

13 January 1656
- death of Saint Eleazar of Anzer.

1658
- rejection by Solovetsky monks of the newly amended church service books from Moscow, produced as part of Patriarch Nikon’s reforms.

1667
- Old Orthodox Belief supporters refuse to accept the new father superior of the monastery, archimandrite Joseph, appointed by decree of the ruler Aleksei Mikhailovich.

1668
- the tsar’s officer Ignaty Volokhov arrives on Solovki with a detachment of Streltsy (elite soldiers).

1669
- supporters of the pacific “defence of the faith” thrown out of the monastery.

1672
- some of Stepan Razin’s routed Cossacks seek refuge in Solovki.

1673
- start of the ‘close’ blockade of the Solovetsky Monastery; the Streltsy on the brink of revolt.

1674
- voivode Ivan Mescherinov sent to Solovki. Battle in the monastery approaches. The Solovetsky recluses refuse to include the tsar any more in their daily prayers.

1675
- unsuccessful storming of the monastery by the streltsy.

22 January 1676
- monastery seized, rebel leaders executed.

1676–1680
- father superior is archimandrite Makary, sent from the Tikhvin Monastery

1689–1718
- father superior is archimandrite Firs; a raft of measures taken to secularise land and other monastery holdings.

1694
- first visitation to Solovki by Tsar Peter I, who shows ‘gracious favour’ to the monastery.

1701
- the out of favour priest John, former spiritual counsellor to the royal family, exiled to Solovki. He is tonsured with the name Jesus in the schema and founds the Skete of the Crucifixion on Golgotha Hill (Anzer Island).

1702
- second visitation by Peter I to Solovki with a squadron of newly built ships.

9 March 1720
- death of Saint Jesus, the Golgotha skete starts to fall into disrepair.

1741–1761
- father superior is archimandrite Gennady (Drozdovsky). Monastery acquires stavropegial status, under direct control of Holy Synod.

1780’s
- a series of imperial decrees secularise monastic properties.

1777–1793
- father superior is archimandrite Hieronimous. Publication of the Solovetsky Chronicle, the first printed work on the history of the Solovetsky Monastery.

1793–1796
- father superior is archimandrite Gerasim. Attempt to strictly observe the community rule and correct the moral climate within the monastery.

1796–1805
- father superior is archimandrite Ion. Rebuilding of main monastery buildings.

1814
- disarmament of Solovki, fortress taken off list of Russian military fortifications.

1819–1825
- father superior is archimandrite Makary, founder of the Makary Hermitage and the Solovetsky Botanical Garden.

26 July 1819
- death of Feofan the hermit, a pupil of Saint Paisy Velichkovsky.

1826–1836
- father superior is archimandrite Dosifei (Nemchinov). Revival of the Skete of the Crucifixion on Anzer Island. Publication of fundamental Geographical, Historical and Statistical Description of the Stavropegial Solovetsky Monastery.

1844
- visit to Solovki by the grand prince Constantine Nikolaevich, leading naval specialist during the reforms of Alexander II.

10 July 1853
- death of the Solovetsky ascetic and spiritual father, Naum, well-known for his piety.

1854
- appearance off Solovki of English steam frigates Brisk and Miranda. Shelling of the monastery.

June 1855
- allied ships once again appear near the monastery; fruitless negotiations with archimandrite Alexander about re-provisioning enemy ships.

1858
- visitation to Solovki by Emperor Alexander II.

1873
- first edition of the Lives of the Solovetsky Fathers (Solovetsky Paterik).

1886
- military command group at the Solovetsky Monastery is disbanded.

1895–1917
- archimandrite Ioanniki (Yusov) is father superior; creation of navigable canal system linking the lakes on Bolshoi Solovetsky Island.

1899
- publication of History of the Stavropegial Solovetsky Monastery – the fullest historical account of the monastery.

1913
- visit to Solovki by Princess Elizabeth Fedorovna, foundress of the Saints Martha and Mary Convent who died a holy martyr’s death in 1918.

1917–1920
- holy martyr saint archimandrite Veniamin (Kononov) is father superior. On 17 April 1928 archimandrite Veniamin and the Solovetsky hieromonk Nikifor were burned alive in a forest hermitage near Arkhangelsk.

1918
- arrival of a Red Army detachment on Solovki; confiscation of part of the monastery’s food supplies.

1918–1919
- combined sub-division of interventionists stationed on Solovki.

1920
- commission headed by M.S. Kedrov arrives on Solovki; the liquidation of the Solovetsky Monastery and exile of its leaders; Soviet collective farm Solovki and forced labour camp set up.

1923
- creation of Solovetsky special purpous camps.

1937
- reorganisation of camps into prison.

1939
- closure of prison on Solovki; archipelago handed over to Soviet Navy; Northern Fleet training facility opened on Solovki.

1942–1945
- marine cadet school opened at the training facility on Solovki.

1944
- Island Council founded (since 1971 known as the Village Council).

1967
- opening on the islands of branch of the Arkhangelsk Region Ethnographic Museum (since 1974 known as the Solovetsky State Historical, Architectural and Natural History Museum and Reserve).

1987
- Solovetsky Regional Council formed, the Solovetsky village given its official name.

1990
- reopening of the Solovetsky Stavropegial Monastery of the Transfiguration; hegumen German put in charge.

1992
- holy relics of the monastery’s founders Saints Savvaty, Zosima and German are returned to Solovki; His Holiness Alexi II, Patriarch of Moscow and All-Russia visits the Solovetsky Monastery in his capacity as its supreme archimandrite;
- hegumen Joseph (later archimandrite) appointed acting father superior;
- Solovki is included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

1999
- Anzer Island acquires the relics of the martyred Saint Peter, Archbishop of Voronezh and Zadonsk (died 1929).

2000
- a new feast day is introduced into the Church’s calendar, that of the Gathering of the Solovetsky New Martyrs and the Confessors on 10 August (23 August Old Style Calendar)

2001
- Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation and His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Alexi II make a joint pilgrimage to Solovki.

Print