Monastery of St.Cyril on the White Lake, museum of icons
Goritsy
Группа до 40 человек
Bus tour
Walking tour
Visits to religious sites

The Monastery of St Cyril on the White Lake was one of the largest and most famous monasteries in Russia and was converted into a museum at the beginning of the 20th century.

History tells us that one day a monk from Moscow named Cyril had a vision of a Blessed Virgin in which she told him to head north and to find a monastery. Thanks to Cyril it was not simply a monastery but it also served as a northern bastion which protected and defended the territory under Moscow’s control. Cooperating in this way with Moscow meant that the monastery not only received generous donations it also gained political influence.

During the middle of the 18th century the monastery reached the zenith of its power and influence possessing 20,000 serfs 400 villages, huge amount of property and a salt mine. But greed, bad management and corruption led to its decline and fall at the end of 18th century. During the Civil War the monastery supported the White Guards in the hope of conquering the atheistic Bolsheviks. When the counterrevolution failed the monastery’s bishop was shot dead by the Red Guards.

The new government placed the monastery under state control and opened a museum of Local History on its grounds in 1923. In 1969 the Soviets officially declared the monastery a museum and thus ensured that it will continue to receive financial support and undergo restoration.