Goritsy Russia
Russia
Frequently Asked Questions
At the village river landing on the Sheksna River, along the Volga–Baltic waterway. Goritsy is only a hamlet: a few wooden houses, kitchen gardens and a quay — no terminal.
Because the village guards the entrance to one of the country's great sanctuaries. You do not come for Goritsy itself, but for the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery at Kirillov, about ten minutes away by coach.
Yes, but the village is tiny. On foot you will see the wooden houses with carved window frames, the craft stalls by the landing and the Resurrection Convent on a knoll above the water. The main monastery requires the coach.
The excursion to the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery takes up most of the half-day. If time allows, add the Resurrection Convent in the village and a look at the craft stalls near the quay.
Founded in 1397, it became one of the most powerful in Russia: spiritual centre, fortress and political prison all at once. Its ramparts, among the mightiest in the country, enclose nearly twelve hectares of courtyards, churches and gardens beside Lake Siverskoye.
A hill on the road to Kirillov where, by tradition, the monk Cyril recognized in the late 14th century the place the Virgin had shown him in a dream. Some itineraries pause here: from the top the view reaches over the lakes and the domes.
Yes, but only on an extended excursion: Ferapontov Monastery is about twenty kilometres away. Its 16th-century frescoes are among the best-preserved painted ensembles in Russia. Check that the option is on the ship's programme.
A women's monastery founded in the 16th century by a princess of Ivan the Terrible's family, who was later confined there. Long neglected, its buildings are slowly coming back to life with the return of a small religious community.
Whatever villagers set out near the landing: seasonal berries, wool knitwear and painted souvenirs. It is modest and unstaged. Bring roubles in cash, as foreign cards do not work.
May through September, when ships run the Moscow–St Petersburg waterway. The northern Russian summer is short and bright; the birches and tall grasses are what give the village its character.
