Kirillov: Monastery History, Museums and Boat Trips

• The Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery is Kirillov’s most prominent urban landmark; its history dates back to the late 14th century.
• The surviving iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Dormition was created around 1497 and is considered a unique monument of Old Russian icon painting.
• The Evgeny Preobrazhensky Museum presents its multimedia exhibition complex in seven halls of the Narodny Dom.
• The temporary exhibition “Slovo o grade Kirillove” commemorates the 250th anniversary of Kirillov’s founding in 1776 and is scheduled to run until February 28, 2027.
• Boat trips and excursions on Lake Siverskoye depart from Siverskaya Pristan aboard the “KUBENA” motor catamaran, along the monastery walls.

As Kirillov’s most prominent urban landmark, the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery defines the town’s appearance. Its history dates back to the late 14th century. Another point of reference is the surviving iconostasis of Kirillov’s Cathedral of the Dormition: it was created around 1497 and is considered a unique monument of Old Russian icon painting. The accounts emphasize different things—the monastery’s long history and the creation date of a specific work of art. This makes it possible to distinguish local history from art history, rather than reducing them to a single date.

The Evgeny Preobrazhensky Museum presents its multimedia exhibition complex in seven halls of the Narodny Dom at 3 Preobrazhenskogo Street in Kirillov. One of the museum’s exhibition projects is dedicated to Soviet aviation during the Great Patriotic War. There is also the temporary exhibition “Slovo o grade Kirillove,” which commemorates the 250th anniversary of Kirillov’s founding in 1776 and is scheduled to run until February 28, 2027. If this exhibition is the main focus of your visit, take its stated closing date into account when planning.

The Museum of the History of the City and District of Kirillov focuses on everyday life: it shows how people in Kirillov lived a hundred years ago. To do so, it presents a restored, nearly original 19th-century-style interior in a town house with an enfilade layout. An enfilade arranges rooms in a sequence. The furnished rooms include a living room, study, bedroom, kitchen, dining room and doctor’s office; they contain objects from everyday life at the time. Alongside the town’s history, visitors can therefore explore specific living spaces. This perspective on everyday life and domestic interiors differs from the exhibition theme of Soviet aviation.

In the wider destination of Kirillovsky District, Ferapontov Monastery offers a distinct cultural and historical focus. Its architectural ensemble is one of the exhibition sites of the Kirillo-Belozersky Museum Reserve. The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin, the main church of the former Ferapontov Monastery, contains murals by the Moscow artist Dionisius dating from 1502, which have survived without being painted over. The ensemble was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List at the end of 2000. These themes complement the focus on Kirillov’s monastery and museums with a distinct example elsewhere in the wider destination.

The landscape of Kirillovsky District can also be understood through its contrasts. Russky Sever National Park is located in the northwest of Vologda Oblast. The hills of Maura, Sandireva and Tsipina are among the district’s major hills and lie in the Kirillo-Belozersko-Andogsky landscape area. Sandireva is treeless and covered with meadows; from there, views extend over the Volga–Baltic Waterway and the large islands in the water areas of the Sheksna floodplains. Sokolsky Bor offers a different landscape: this forested area lies on the shore of the Sheksna Reservoir within Russky Sever National Park. Thus, an open view from a meadow-covered hill and a forested area on the reservoir shore represent contrasting natural settings.

In the wider destination of Kirillovsky District, a cruise ship on the Volga–Baltic Waterway reaches a landing stage in the village of Goritsy or the village of Kuzino to access the national park area. No further transport steps are described. As cruise schedules and availability may change, check the latest timetable information before including this option in your plans.

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Discover more destinations: Gonginskaya, Krasavino, Kadui, Bolshoye Ivanovskoye, Olarevo, Shoksha, Cherepovets, Novoye.

What museums are there in Kirillov?

The Evgeny Preobrazhensky Museum presents a multimedia exhibition complex in seven halls of the Narodny Dom. The Museum of the History of the City and District of Kirillov shows what life in Kirillov was like a hundred years ago and features a furnished 19th-century-style interior.

When is the “Slovo o grade Kirillove” exhibition scheduled to end?

The temporary exhibition is scheduled to run until February 28, 2027.

What landscapes are described for Kirillovsky District?

The major hills include Maura, Sandireva and Tsipina. From treeless, meadow-covered Sandireva, there are views of the Volga–Baltic Waterway and islands in the Sheksna floodplains. Sokolsky Bor is a forested area on the shore of the Sheksna Reservoir in Russky Sever National Park.

How can you reach the national park area by cruise ship?

A cruise ship on the Volga–Baltic Waterway reaches a landing stage in Goritsy or Kuzino. From there, the described option leads into the national park area. Check the latest timetable information and cruise availability before planning.

Back to the regional travel overview: Vologda Oblast.