It was raining all day. Once arrived at Goritsy, all tourists had to squeeze through crowds of people and umbrellas to the bus stop for a transfer to Kirillov, to visit the main attraction of the town, the well-preserved Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery. The construction of the monastery started in 1397. It's also known as the Monastery of St Cyril on the White Lake, though it's actually located on the shore of Lake Siverskoye. In the past it had also served as a fortress and housed political exiles, but in the 20th century it was converted into a museum.

While everyone in my group went for a tour of the museum to admire the collection of icons and other religious items, I chose to wander around in the rain to capture the medieval architecture.

(All rights reserved)