Ferapontovo is a village in the Kirillovsky district of the Vologda region. It is the administrative center of the Ferapontovsky rural settlement and the Ferapontovsky Village Council. The nearest settlements are Tzipino, Yarshevo, Schelkovo. According to the 2002 census, the population was 398 people (175 men, 223 women). The predominant nationality are Russians (99%). Ferapontov Monastery is the main travel destination. The Ferapontov monastery with the frescoes of Dionysius, an architectural monument of federal significance, a UNESCO cultural heritage site, brought the village world-wide fame here. A visit to the monastery is a must-see point on the program of numerous cruises around Volgobalt. It attracts tourists, pilgrims and auto travelers. Despite the small number of villagers, Ferapontovo has sufficient infrastructure for receiving guests, which continues to grow rapidly.
By bus
Ferapontovo can only be reached by public
transport by bus, but this task is not an easy one, and if possible, it
is better to drive your own car. The bus ride will take you to one of
the three stops marked below, and the more frequent the buses, the
farther they stop from the village. You can get to Ferapontovo from
Vologda (travel time about 2.5 hours) or Kirillov (travel time 30
minutes). You can get to Kirillov from the same Cherepovets (travel time
is a little more than 2 hours) or from Vologda (about 3 hours on the
road), although the Vologda bus will pass the turn to Ferapontovo, from
where it is about 5 kilometers to the village. Following from Vologda,
you will arrive at one of two stops located within walking distance from
the village on the A119 highway; from Cherepovets the path will lie
through Kirillov.
Stop "Ferapontovo". A small stop in the village
of Ferapontovo in the form of a semicircle arch. Only the
Kirillov-Ferapontovo bus that runs not every day (usually on weekdays)
goes here. It runs very rarely and is unstable, so it is better to find
out the schedule in advance at the Kirillov bus station.
Stop
"Yarshevo". It is located on the A119 highway before the main turn to
Ferapontovo (to the left). You have to walk a couple more kilometers to
the monastery. Minibuses Vologda-Vytegra pass here several times a day
and the intercity bus 990 Vologda-Petrozavodsk, which runs once a day,
stops. It leaves Vologda at 8 am and goes back to Vologda via Yarshevo
at about 6 pm. Makes a stop here and the same rare bus from Cherepovets
to Vytegra, following through Kirillov. If you need to leave
Ferapontovo, then it is better to catch the car of the desired direction
here.
Stop "Turn to Kirillov". It is located 5 km from Ferapontovo
along the A119 highway towards Vologda (the next stop after Yarshevo).
Here, the bus 5410 Vologda-Kirillov, which runs 5 times a day, is added
to the buses going through Yarshevo. The village can be reached from the
stop either on foot or by passing car.
By car
A kilometer to
the east of the village is the A119 highway, along which it is 120 km to
Vologda on good asphalt. Although the village is not visible from the
highway, turning to it is possible at several exits according to the
numerous signs on the highway. If you drive from Vologda, then it will
be a left turn almost immediately after the turn to Kirillov. It is easy
to navigate in the village, following the main street Slobodskaya,
passing after the bridge over the river Paska to Kargopolskaya, or
visually along the spiers of the monastery. Driving on a rather weak
bridge is formally allowed only for locals (the sign "traffic is
prohibited"), but no one controls this. Car parking is located 200
meters to the left of the main entrance to the monastery.
Ferapontovo is a village, although both tourist and public transport are not needed here. You can move around the village on foot, and if you need further, then the most convenient option is your car. The easiest way to get to Kirillov is by taxi (about 500 rubles) or by hitchhiking. Taxi aggregators in Ferapontovo, as well as in Kirillov, do not work - you can use ads on poles or on the Internet.
Bogoroditse-Rozhdestvensky Ferapontov Monastery, st. Kargopolskaya, 8. ☎ +7 (817) 574-92-61. May to September: 09:00-18:00, other times: 09:00-18:00 except Mon. One of the oldest monasteries in the Russian North has always been distinguished by its harmony with nature and intimacy. He preserved several temples of the XV-XVII centuries, located very compactly and, as is customary in this area, literally huddling together. The remaining empty space inside the walls was once occupied by wooden buildings, lost or deliberately destroyed during the Soviet era to give the monastery a more authentic look. The walls themselves also remained wooden for a long time and were built in stone only in the middle of the 19th century as decorative ones. After the closing of the monastery in 1798, it was briefly revived before the revolution, and now it functions more like a museum, although the gate temple is active; sometimes services are also held in the Martinian church. Entrance to the territory is free; you can order a tour of the monastery or explore the buildings of interest on your own. The best time to visit the monastery is before noon, then tour buses and numerous tourists arrive.
Holy gates with gate churches of the Epiphany and
Ferapont. The main gate of the monastery has two different-sized arches
and is crowned with two small symmetrical tents. There are, as it were,
two churches here - Epiphany and Ferapont - but in essence it is a
single church, and even that one is rather cramped: it was in it that
the disgraced Nikon was placed, who during the time of Ferapont's exile
complained more than once about crowding. The tents are “false”, that
is, they do not open inside the temple like a dome, but are installed
directly on the vaults that distribute the weight through the unloading
arches - a rare architectural technique. Unlike other Ferapontov
temples, the gate church has come down to us practically unchanged.
Divine services are held here, in the church of Ferapont there is a
particle of the relics of the founder of the monastery.
Treasury
Chamber. Built in the 1530s, the chamber adjoins the Holy Gates to the
right of the entrance and together with them forms the main facade of
the monastery. This is apparently the oldest surviving monument of civil
architecture in the Russian North. The chamber is two-storeyed with a
gable roof: the treasury, documents, the monastery archive and library
were kept on the upper tier, and household equipment was kept on the
lower tier. There was a hiding place in the western wall of the second
tier, behind the stairs. Now on the ground floor there are exhibitions
of contemporary artists whose works are associated with Ferapontovo.
Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin. 250 rub. The cathedral was
built in 1490, historically it is the second stone temple of the Russian
North. The first was the Cathedral of the Spaso-Kamenny Monastery,
erected ten years earlier and not preserved, and the third was the
Assumption Cathedral of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, built almost
ten years later and which has come down to us in a somewhat rebuilt
form. The Ferapontovsky temple suffered a similar fate: the roof,
decorated with several rows of kokoshniks, was simplified, making it
boring and flat (its former appearance can be judged from the
neighboring Church of the Annunciation), so now the runners on the walls
and the famous paintings of Dionysius inside remind of the age of the
cathedral.
Church of the Annunciation with a refectory. Slender
single-domed temple 1530-31. refers to a rare type of churches built
according to the principle “like under the bells”: a church below, a
bell tower above, and a dome above it. The best representative of this
genre is the surviving church-bell tower of the Spaso-Kamenny Monastery,
but the Ferapontovsky version is also interesting in its own way,
especially by the asymmetrical niches of the upper tier, where bells
once hung. A massive refectory in the style of ancient Russian stone
chambers adjoins the temple from the west. It has an intra-wall duct
system designed to heat the entire complex. The one-pillar basement
served as a cellar where the monastic supplies were kept, and now
expositions of local history topics organized in Soviet times are on
display.
Martinian Church. 60 rub. (during the service free of
charge). Hegumen Martinian, under whom the dawn of the monastery began,
died in 1483 and was buried near the southern wall of the Nativity
Cathedral. In 1502, on the wall above his grave, Dionysius painted the
image “Our Lady of the Caves with the upcoming archangels, Nicholas the
Wonderworker, Ferapont and Martinian”, and in 1641, Cyril’s masters
built a tented church right over the grave, inside of which there was
also a fresco. In terms of architecture, the building most likely
resembled the same hipped church of Epiphanius in Kirillov. Later
restructurings greatly disturbed the appearance of the temple, but did
not affect the original lighting solution: the spotlights of the windows
direct the flow of sunlight to Martinian's burial, creating a glowing
effect. Free access for worship is open to the shrine with relics.
Bell tower. The last building of the monastery was erected in the 1680s
and has a rather rare shape. This is a three-tiered bell tower with a
square bell plan and a four-sided tent. There are 17 bells hung on it
and a restored clock with a strike of 1638 is placed - one of the oldest
in Russia.
Church of Nil Sorsky , st. Zaozeritsa, 4 (near the
bus stop). ☎ +7 (921) 237-25-59. Wooden hipped church built in
1995-2008. in the old Russian style with all traditional techniques and
technologies. The temple was consecrated in 2008 on the occasion of the
500th anniversary of the death of Nil Sorsky, who is considered the
founder of the skete residence in Rus' - this venerable elder left the
Kirillo-Belozersky monastery in 1485 and founded his skete in the
forests nearby (later the Nilo-Sorsky hermitage), which consolidated the
traditions of ancient Russian downshifting laid down by Ferapont.
Borodaevskoye lake. From the lake, part of which is closer to the
monastery is also called Ferapontovsky, offers a magnificent view of the
monastery. On the south coast you can often see artists and just
tourists - this is one of the best viewpoints. The reservoir is
distinguished by numerous bays and is popular with fishermen who catch
bream, pike and perch all year round. Near the monastery, the lake has a
gentle shore, where you can swim. Even in summer, the water is quite
cool, but pleasantly invigorating, allowing you to feel the unique charm
of the Russian North. In the lake, 300 meters from the monastery, there
are the remains of a small man-made island with a cross standing on it.
The island has a regular streamlined shape and was created on the
initiative of the exiled patriarch Nikon, and therefore now bears his
name.
Museum of frescoes of Dionysius , st. Kargopolskaya,
8 (in the Nativity Cathedral of the monastery). ☎ +7 (817) 574-92-61.
May to September: 09:00-18:00, other times: 09:00-18:00 except Mon. 250
rub. The murals of the Nativity Cathedral, made in 1502 by the Moscow
icon painter Dionysius, are the main value of Ferapontov, to which the
tiny village owes its place on the World Heritage lists. Not so many
Russian frescoes older than the 17th century have come down to us, and
most often these are separate fragments, cleaned by restorers from later
layers or saved from the walls of destroyed churches. The effect and
intention of fresco painting is not only in individual scenes that
miraculously survived on these fragments, but also in the overall
impression that the temple leaves, painted from top to bottom. The
oldest monument of this kind, preserved in Russia, is the
Transfiguration Cathedral of the Mirozhsky Monastery in Pskov, where
Byzantine craftsmen worked at the end of the 12th century.
Ferapontovskie frescoes were created three centuries later and
exclusively by local authors.
Theophan the Greek, who arrived in Rus'
from Byzantium at the end of the 14th century, is usually considered the
founder of this local school. His direct followers were Daniil Cherny
and Andrei Rublev, who painted several large churches that have survived
to this day - however, although the churches have survived to this day,
the paintings have not survived. Dionysius, who worked at the end of the
15th century, belonged to at least the third generation of icon painters
who grew up exclusively on local soil, so it is not surprising that his
painting bears little resemblance to Byzantine and in some sense
surpasses it. Dionysius painted in light colors, almost did not use dark
colors - this makes the paintings light and airy. The colors and
textures are very well preserved, the frescoes have never been updated
and were only washed from dirt during restoration. The humidity and
temperature control installed in the temple allows you to watch the
frescoes all year round, which also happens infrequently with monuments
of this age.
The cathedral is painted according to the Orthodox
canons of the XIV-XV centuries. - orderly from top to bottom, and
strikes with a variety of compositions: there are about 300 plots. In
the domed drum is Christ the Almighty, under it are the archangels and
evangelists, on the western wall is the scene of the Last Judgment, in
the temple there are images of all seven Ecumenical Councils.
Particularly impressive is the fresco of Nicholas the Wonderworker in
one of the altar apses. Frescoes can be viewed with a guided tour and on
your own. Photo and video shooting (without flash) are paid - 200 rubles
(strict control is carried out). Self-guided visit in sessions, starting
with a ten-minute film about Dionysius, his creation of frescoes and the
restoration of the cathedral. Then visitors are given a detailed scheme
of murals and escorted to the Nativity Cathedral. Here you can inspect
the frescoes on your own for 15 minutes in silence under the watchful
eye of the museum staff.
Exhibition "History of the Ferapontov
Monastery" (in the refectory chamber of the Annunciation Church of the
monastery). 100 rub. Here you can see ancient icons, early printed
books, robes of abbot Martinian and other church items. Of greatest
interest is the carved wooden shrine of St. Martinian, which survived
from his original burial.
Exhibition "The World of Peasant
Things" (in the refectory of the Annunciation Church of the monastery).
100 rub. The exposition is dedicated to the life of the peasants of the
village of Ferapontovo. Here you can see items of peasant life: carts,
dishes, folk costumes, a collection of Russian spinning wheels - almost
all of this is made of wood. A unique exhibit is the Siversky idol - a
stone meter-long pagan idol of the 4th-9th centuries, found in the
village of Siverovo, 5 km from Ferapontovo.
Around the monastery are typical stalls and mini-shops
with a souvenir; in addition to traditional magnets, you can buy
literature, handicrafts, etc. You should also look at the very expensive
but exclusive Kurakin ceramics.
Administration of the Museum of
Dionysius Frescoes, st. Kargopolskaya, 7. 10:00–17:00. Here is the best
selection of souvenirs in Ferapontovo: magnets, albums with frescoes by
Dionysius, multimedia products, paintings with views of the monastery,
etc. Similar souvenirs are presented in the basement of the refectory.
Also, the administration of the museum has one of the most convenient
places for parking.
Shop-exhibition "Kurakinskaya ceramics", st.
Slobodskaya, 1. 9:00–21:00. A company store from a ceramics workshop
located 10 km from Ferapontovo. Here you can get acquainted with the
main range of products - tiles, plates, figurines, vessels - and also
buy them as souvenirs or make an individual order, but the prices are
high.
Grocery store Kirillovsky district, st. Slobodskaya, 4 (next to
the cultural and administrative center). 9:00–20:00. Perhaps the largest
outlet in the village, although it is a typical village store with a
counter. The choice of products is relatively small, but you can have a
bite to eat. Located 200 meters from the monastery.
Shop "Kopeechka",
st. Slobodskaya, 3. 9:00–20:00. A small shop where you can buy food and
souvenirs. Located near the monastery in a nice wooden house.
Shop
"Birch", st. Slobodskaya, 70. 9:00–19:00. A small grocery store on the
outskirts of the village, located near the A119 highway and the Yarshevo
bus stop.
There are no restaurants, no cafes, not even a monastery refectory in Ferapontovo. Tourists usually stay in guest houses, which have their own kitchen. You can either just buy something to eat at local grocery stores, or drive to Kirillov by car. A good option can also be the cafe of the Tsipina Gora ski base: by car it is only 9 km away, and the price / quality ratio is pleasant.
The village, although touristic, is small, so there
are no traditional hotels here yet. You can stay in guest houses or in
the private sector, which, in fact, is the same thing: mostly private
wooden houses. There is a mini-hotel with several rooms in the new
cultural and administrative center. Most of the houses for rent are
located on the main Slobodskaya street: you can just walk along it and
look for rental ads. In summer, it is better to book accommodation in
advance.
1 Guest house "In Ferapontovo", st. Slobodskaya, 1. from
3000 rub. Wooden cottage in Russian style with two bedrooms, a terrace,
a kitchen and all necessary equipment. Designed for 4 people, there is
Wi-Fi and a place for a barbecue. In the second half of the house there
is a shop of Kurakin ceramics. The best location in Ferapontovo, 150
meters from the monastery - a great view of the monastery from the
window. Can be booked online.
2 Mini hotel, st. Slobodskaya, 4 (in
the building of the cultural and administrative center). 3375 rub. for a
double room with two single beds. Several small rooms on the second
floor of the new cultural and administrative center, converted from the
former Russian Yard Hotel and opened in 2020. The rooms are small, but
with a recent renovation, a private balcony, new showers and a kettle.
Just 200 meters to the monastery. Can be booked online.
3 Vezha
Guest House , st. Slobodskaya, 14. ☎ +7 (977) 889-53-73. from 2500 rub.
(depending on the season). Small wooden house with one bedroom and a
kitchen, can accommodate up to 4 people. There is standard furniture and
all necessary appliances, as well as a private garden. Located in the
center of the village, 900 meters from the entrance to the monastery.
If you have a car, you can stay in Kirillov, where there are no
particular problems with hotels, or choose one of the many tourist bases
or cottages on the territory of the Russian North National Park.
4 Tourist base "Laituri" , village Shanikovo, 27. ☎ +7 (921)
238-10-00. Large tourist base for 200 people, 20 km from Ferapontovo
towards Vologda. It is located on the shore of Lake Nikolskoye. The base
includes hotel rooms and Finnish cottages with a sauna. On the base
there is a restaurant and a summer cafe, a beach, sports grounds, a
sauna, rental of boats, bicycles, skis. Double room in winter can be
rented from 2000 rubles. per night on weekdays, weekends and summer more
expensive. The cost of cottages starts from 5000 rubles. There is free
Wi-Fi in the main building. You can stay with your tent in the camping
area with sockets, shower and kitchen area.
All federal mobile operators work in Ferapontovo: MTS,
Beeline, Megafon, Tele 2 and Yota. Beeline provides only 2G coverage
here, other operators steadily catch at least 3G. But it is worth
driving a few kilometers away from the village, and the connection will
be much worse.
Post office, st. Slobodskaya, 7. Mon–Fri
9:00–17:15, break: 13:00–14:00. Postal code Ferapontovo: 161120
There are no problems with crime in Ferapontovo: it is safe here not only during the day, but also at night. You should only be afraid of mosquitoes and animals: at night and early in the morning along the shores of the lake you can meet packs of stray dogs, which usually behave quite peacefully. And in the summer, in the vicinity of the village, there were cases of meeting not only with wolves, but also with bears.
From Ferapontovo, first of all, you need to go to the regional center of Kirillov, where on the shore of Lake Siverskoye lies the grandiose Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, founded in 1397 by Ferapont's associate, Cyril. With a car, you can visit other objects of the Russian North National Park, located mainly near Kirillov. If you have time, it is worth visiting the villages around Ferapontovo: there are no famous sights there, but still there are some interesting things. Do not count on public transport, it is practically non-existent here.
Museum complex Tsypino. Located 2 km south of the
Ferapontov Monastery, at the foot of Tsypina Gora, the highest point of
the Russian North National Park. Here, on the northeastern shore of the
small Ilyinsky Lake, there is the churchyard of the village of Tsypino,
known since the 16th century. Before the revolution, there were two
churches in Tsypino: the wooden Ilinskaya (1755) that has come down to
us and the stone Demetrius of Thessalonica (1800), blown up by the
Bolsheviks. At the end of the 19th century, more than 20 villages
belonged to the Tsypinsky parish; it was one of the largest in the
Kirillovsky district. In 1862-1895. Ivan Brilliants served as the priest
of the Ilyinsky Church, whose son discovered the Ferapont frescoes to
the world.
Now a museum complex has been created here, which can be
reached (or walked) from Ferapontovo along a dirt road of decent
quality. The complex is landscaped, from it you can go to the shore of
Lake Ilyinsky on wooden decks. The place continues to develop - it is
planned to organize an open-air museum of wooden architecture here,
among other things, the house of the priest Brilliantov will be
restored. While there are only two objects in the museum complex, you
can visit them on your own (free of charge), or with a guided tour for
400 rubles per person.
Church of Elijah the Prophet. Ilyinskaya
Church of 1755 is a high multi-tiered tower on a cross-shaped basement
with a basement - this is a rare example of the penetration of Ukrainian
traditions into the northern temple architecture. On three sides, the
church is surrounded by a hanging bypass gallery, which now houses
expositions dedicated to the history of the temple, the family of the
priest Brilliantov, and the peasants of the Ilyinsky parish. In Soviet
times, the temple was closed, in 1958 the dome collapsed, but the
proximity to the Ferapontov Monastery saved the church from destruction
- the temple was transferred to the museum, although it came to
restoration only in the early 2000s. The renovated temple was opened in
2009, a four-tiered iconostasis of the 19th century was recreated
inside, but the original icons were replaced by photocopies due to
climatic conditions (the originals are stored in the Kirillo-Belozersky
Monastery). Next to the church, the octagon of the former upper tier of
the Elias Church, made of logs that are not subject to restoration, has
been preserved.
Chapel of Paraskeva Pyatnitsa. Next to the Ilyinsky
Church stands a low wooden chapel of Paraskeva Pyatnitsa of the 19th
century, originally installed on a graveyard in the village of
Pasynkovo, Kirillovsky District. It is a wooden frame in the form of an
unequal octagon under a hipped roof. In the 1930s, it was moved from the
churchyard to the village itself and used for household needs. Over
time, the chapel began to collapse: the walls grew into the ground, and
the roof collapsed. In 2010, the chapel was moved to Tsypino and
restored with the participation of Polish restorers. The Poles also
handed over the icon of the Resurrection of Christ, painted in memory of
the tragic death on April 10, 2010 in a plane crash near Smolensk, of
the top leadership of Poland. Now here you can see exhibitions of
contemporary artists dedicated to the Russian North.
A natural monument and the highest point of the
Russian North National Park. From the top, 210 meters high, a
picturesque view of Ilyinskoye Lake and other surroundings opens up.
According to legend, in clear weather you can see the radiance of the
domes of the St. Sophia Cathedral in Vologda, 100 km from here. More
than 200 species of plants grow on the slopes, some of which are rare
and endangered. On one of the peaks of Tsypina Gora, there used to be a
stone chapel built in 1882 in the name of Alexander Nevsky and in memory
of the assassination of Tsar Alexander II. In Soviet times, it was
destroyed - now there is a memorial cross on this site. The mountain
from Ferapontovo can be reached on foot through the villages, about 5
km, or by car along an asphalt road - 9 km. On one of the slopes there
is a ski resort.
Ski complex "Tsipina Gora" , village Odenyevo, st.
Magic, 1. ☎ +7 (911) 501-04-29. A new year-round tourist complex with
beautiful nature and good infrastructure. Several slopes 750 m long for
skis, snowboards and cheesecakes, 2 lifts. The slopes are quite gentle -
the height difference is only 76 meters. Near the developed
infrastructure, which includes a hotel, a cafe, a bathhouse. In the
hotel you can rent a double room from 3700 rubles. or a whole cottage
with five bedrooms for 24,000 rubles. The cafe has good food at
affordable prices - you can just come to eat. The complex is
conveniently located 9 km from Ferapontovo and 14 km from Kirillov.
Workshop "Kurakinskaya ceramics" , village Kurakino.
☎ +7 (921) 141-15-09. Mon–Sat 9:00–18:00 (break 12:00–13:00), Sun
13:00–18:00. The workshop presents a wide range of products made from
Kurakin ceramics, which has become a tourist brand known far beyond the
Vologda Oblast. In total, more than ten people work in the workshop, and
the founder and permanent guardian of this craft is Nina Georgievna
Mishintseva, a professional artist. She lives in the countryside and has
been making tiles, pottery, floor vases, plates, sculptures and jewelry
for 40 years. Artistic products are made from local red clay according
to their own technology, which repeats the techniques of Russian masters
of the 16th-17th centuries. Here you can order tiles for a fireplace or
stove according to an individual project or buy souvenirs from Kurakin
ceramics, but the prices are high. Master classes in artistic modeling
and painting are also held. The village is located 10 km from
Ferapontovo, most of the way along a dirt road - in bad weather it is
better to go by SUV. It is better to arrange a visit in advance by
phone.
Museum of Cyril's accordion, p. Volokoslavinskoe, st. School,
11. ☎ +7 (817) 575-91-66. Opened in February 2009 at the local cultural
center. A small exhibition is devoted to the history of the harmonium
fishery, which is more than 150 years old in the Kirillovsky district.
Here you can see accordions, button accordions, various devices of
accordion players, documents and photographs dedicated to the Cyrillic
accordion.
Pilot E.N. Preobrazhensky, p. Volokoslavinskoe, st.
Preobrazhensky. A small museum in the native village of the famous pilot
E.N. Preobrazhensky - Hero of the Soviet Union, commander of the first
air raid on Berlin in 1941. The exposition was opened in 1976 and is
located in the school named after the hero. Here you can see personal
photos of the famous pilot, documents, letters from the front.
Picture gallery, p. Talitsy, st. Chuchina, 12
(Talitsky House of Culture). ☎ +7 (817) 575-51-42. The only art gallery
in the Vologda region, located not in the city, but in the countryside.
The exhibition was opened in August 2000 after receiving a gift of
paintings by the artist Yuri Belkov, a native of these places. He
donated 176 of his works to the local house of culture, most of which
are dedicated to the landscapes of iconic places in the Kirillovsky
district. One of the halls of the gallery hosts exhibitions of local
artists.
Bread Museum (Talitsky House of Culture). The "House of
Bread" was opened in the same house of culture in the summer of 2008.
The museum exposition recreates the interior of a peasant's hut with a
Russian stove. Here are not only samples of bread and pies, but also
other traditional dishes of Russian cuisine. One of the expositions is
devoted to linen and lace making, you can try to learn how to spin on an
old spinning wheel. There is also a recreated office of the Soviet
collective farm office of the 1960s.
The village arose as a sub-monastic settlement of the
Ferapontov Monastery, founded by Ferapont Belozersky in 1398. Ferapont
was an associate of Cyril Belozersky - together they stood at the
origins of the famous monastery in Kirillov. Cyril, however, preferred
harsh living conditions and strict discipline, and Ferapont wanted to
live "spread and smooth" - it was in these places, between Borodaevsky
and Spassky lakes, that he found suitable conditions for creating his
own monastery. It was conveniently located at the trade route to
Arkhangelsk through Kargopol, which went approximately in the same place
where the road to Vytegra is now, but the key to the formation and
development of the monastery was still the charisma of its leaders. The
place of Ferapont was taken by abbot Martinian, later rector of the
Trinity-Sergius Lavra and a great lover of book business, and at the end
of the 15th century, the monastery was led by Martinian's disciple abbot
Ioasaph, who by that time had managed to be the archbishop of Rostov. It
was Joasaph, who had capital connections and the necessary funds, who
organized the construction of the first stone temple; he also invited
the Moscow icon painter Dionysius to decorate the temple, whose work
later brought worldwide fame to the Ferapontov Monastery.
The
heyday of the monastery came in the 16th century. Moscow rulers Vasily
III and Ivan the Terrible came here in person, generous donations were
made by representatives of noble families - the Godunovs, Shuiskys,
Sheremetyevs, Velskys, Vorotynskys. A second stone temple was built, and
at the beginning of the 17th century, the monastery with 50 monks owned
about 60 villages, as well as 300 peasants. The monastery, however, did
not have normal walls, which is why in 1614 it was ravaged by the
Polish-Lithuanian invaders. By the middle of the 17th century, it was
restored and even replenished with new stone buildings, although it
could not be compared with the neighboring Kirillo-Belozersky. Often the
monastery was used as a place of exile: for example, in 1666-76. the
disgraced patriarch Nikon lived here, skillfully begging the tsar for
ever larger donations, at the expense of which he launched his own
construction and created something like his own separate mini-monastery
inside the monastery, but these buildings were soon destroyed in order
to erase all memory of Nikon.
In the 18th century, the monastery
no longer had a serious significance, after the reforms of Catherine II
it was deprived of land and peasants, and in 1798 it was closed with the
transformation of churches into parish churches. In the 19th century,
the former monastery remained in people’s memory only as the place of
imprisonment of Patriarch Nikon, until in 1898 the local historian Ivan
Brilliantov wrote a book that he half dedicated to the same Nikon, but
at the same time, as if in passing, mentioned frescoes and a half-erased
inscription on the wall indicating the authorship of Dionysius. This
brief remark had a stunning effect: already in 1908-15. restorers work
in Ferapontovo, and in 1924 a museum of frescoes by Dionysius was
opened. At first, however, he was treated carelessly, in the
1930s-1960s. Old Russian heritage was guarded by only one watchman. In
the late Soviet years, the museum was taken up more closely, research
and restoration work continued here until the late 1990s, so now the
frescoes look very bright, almost like new ones - this is one of the
best monuments of ancient Russian art that has come down to us.
Modernity
In 2000, the ensemble of the monastery, along with ancient
paintings, was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Tourists have come here, including passengers of cruise ships, who are
given a bus tour to Ferapontovo along with Kirillov. Signs of a tourist
infrastructure appeared in the village, but the unique beauty of the
nature of the Russian North and the originality of ancient architecture
were preserved. The village and the monastery are located on opposite
banks of the small river Paska, connected by a bridge, which, together
with the UNESCO protection status, protects the monastery from modern
buildings. In September 2020, the sign “The Most Beautiful Villages and
Towns of Russia” was installed in the center of the village — only the
city of Totma had previously received such a title in the Vologda
Oblast.
Inspection of ancient frescoes and a few monastic
buildings is unlikely to take you more than an hour and a half. You can
plan a couple more hours to explore the surroundings.