Waterways of the Tsars: Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery (10/14/2019)

Monday, October 14, 2019
We arrived at a port for Kuzino, at the site of Историко-этнографический комплекс "Сугорье"/Historical-Ethnographic Complex "Sugore," an open-air museum that did not appear to be open (it was past the high tourist season).

Historical-Ethnographic Complex "Sugore"

We disembarked for the included shore excursion to the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery.

View of the Кирилло-Белозерский монастырь/Kirillo-Belozersky
Monastery across Озеро Сиверское/Lake Siverskoye

The house on the L is more typical of the one-story dacha with an attic,
having three windows across the first-floor front

Администрация города Кириллова/Administration of Kirillov District

But first a stop at a local school that had 900 students in grades 1-11. After 9th grade, students can choose to work or go to a vocational training center. More academically-oriented students continue for two more years in order to attempt to qualify for free university education. If their grades are not up to standards, they could choose to pay for university.

School on Улица Уверова/Uverova Street, Kirillov

A classroom

Front of the classroom

The tour group took seats in another empty classroom

Our 15-year old student guide explained the education
system in Russia; he spoke excellent English (KSS)

One of the school clubs was the British Bulldog,
for English language students (KSS)

The chatter of the students in the halls and dishes banging in the cafeteria were reminiscent of many schools in the world.

In the school auditorium we were treated to Russian folk singing ... 

... and folk dancing

Displays of student art, such as this fabric collage (KSS)

Folk painting

Scissor cut art with birch bark (KSS)

Story-telling dolls: turn the skirt inside-out to reveal another doll/character

Protection charms for babies, the house, and kitchens; all for sale!

An outdoor ice rink across the street from the school

Back on the motor coaches.

Monument to Lenin

Кафедральный собор Казанской/Kazan Cathedral (1823)

казанская башня/Kazan Tower is the main entrance
to the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery

The Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery was founded in 1397 by the monk Kirill of Belozersky. He allegedly started out in a cave, but the monastery grew to be the largest in Russia.

A three-level fortress (1653-1683) with walls surround
12 hectares/39 acres; at the corner is феропонт башни/Feropont Tower

Inside the fortress wall to the N

косая башни/Oblique Tower to the N

святые ворота/Holy Gate through the Церковь
Иоанна Лествичника/Church of St. John Climacus (16C)

Inside the Holy Gate are former North Wing monks' quarters

The green domes of Собор Успения/Assumption Cathedral (1497),
the yellow Церковь Владимира-Епифаний/Church of Sts Vladimir
and Epiphanius, and the Колокольня Архангела Гавриила/
Bell Tower of the Church of Archangel Gabriel (1531-1534)

Igumen/Head of the Monastery House (17-19C), now housing
an Icon Museum, where we has a close look at these blessed paintings

The SE corner of the fortress and
Белозерская башни/Belozerskaya Tower

Old grave markers line the walkway (KSS)

The monastery earned some money by allowing
nobility to be buried here

Водяная башни/Water Tower with Церковь Спаса
Преображения/Church of Transfiguration

Церковь Евфимия/Church of St Euphimia and former hospital

South Wing Monk's Quarters, which are still in use by monks

Back outside the monastery, we had 15-20 minutes to shop at souvenir stands.

Кафедральный собор Казанской/Kazan Cathedral
is next to be renovated ... (KSS)

Instead of driving back to where we disembarked, we went farther north to meet our ship in Goritsky.

Farther north we were to see more log buildings (KSS)

Another typical dacha

In Goritsky, we had another 15-20 minutes for souvenir shopping, before being hurried back to the ship.

Up north, we are seeing more furs

After lunch, we began crossing озеро Белое/White Lake , a natural lake that would take us two hours to cross. It was windy and everyone could feel the waves.

Cooking demonstration: Pelmeni/Russian dumplings

All sorts of shapes! Then, of course, we had samples!

Next: Kizhi Island 1.