The monastery was founded in 1397 on the bank of Lake Siverskoye, to the south from the town of Beloozero, in the present-day Vologda Oblast. Its founder, St. Kirill of Beloozero, following the advice of his teacher, St. Sergius of Radonezh, first dug a cave here, then built a wooden Assumption chapel and a loghouse for other monks. The vast walled area of the monastery comprises two separate priories with eleven churches, most of them dating to the 16th century. The monastery walls, 732 meters long and 7 meters thick, were constructed in 1654-80.
A detailed article about the monastery could be found at : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirillo-Belozersky_Monastery
Kazanskaya tower with the Main Gates. A detailed plan of the Monastery could be viewed at : http://www.nortfort.ru/kbm/plan_e.html. At this same site, you could view additional wonderful pictures of the monastery shot by Alex Goss in wintertime.
Main entrance to the monastery in Kazanskaja tower (1659). Jesus Christ with St. Sergius Radonezhsky and St. Kirill Belozersky were figured on the icon above the gates by Pheophan Dergoljub in 1664.
Jesus Christ with St. Sergius Radonezhsky and St. Kirill Belozersky were figured on the icon above the gates by Pheophan Dergoljub in 1664.
Ferapontovskaja tower (1660). This is the highest tower in the monastery. Altitude of its observation cabin is near to 40 meters.
The Monastery is surrounded with powerful 3-levels walls with hand's firearms embrasures. Third level has original "mishikuls" - the downward embrasures for defeating enemies just under the walls.
Vologodskaja tower (1656). Tower was named after local regional center - town Vologda. Tower has more then 30 meters hight and 5 fighting levels. It has the hollow stone pillar with spiral staircase inside it and observation cabin on the top.
Wooden windmill from the village of Shchelkovo was transported to the " New City".
The Gates has a traditional construction for russian monasteries with two passages - one for pedestrian and another one for horse-drawn vehicles. It's walls and arcs has the ancient fresco in all it's surface.
Fresco technique could be viewed at :http://www.dionisy.com/eng/additional/1348/
Cathedral of the Dormition. View of the Cathedral from the east. The bell town and Church of the Presentation (1519) are seen on the right, the Church of St. Eupihimius (1645) and the Church of St.Vladimir (1554) are seen on the another hand. Cathedral of the Dormition is the first stone building of the monastery.
The Dormition Cathedral. 1497. http://www.dionisy.com/eng/dionisy/1016/
Church of St.John Climacus above the Holy Gates. The gates were constructed in 1523, and the church above it was erected in 1653 by donations of Ivan VI (Grozny) son's Ivan and Feodor.
Panorama of icons on wall.
Svitochnaja tower. This tower was built late XVI century. It was named so because the tower inhabited by monastery servants, who washed clothes (svitoks). This is remains of elder monastery fortifications, which stood against Poland invasion of XVII century.
Church of Transfiguration and Water Gates.
