Having visited the city of Yaroslavl for most of the day, we once more headed north toward the Rybinsk Reservoir. There, heading in a northerly direction, we left the Volga behind and crossed the reservoir. Following the Volga-Baltic Waterway marked by a yellow line on the map, we headed to the Monastery of St. Kirill of the White Lake.

Even though the monastery is a good many kilometers south of the Whte Lake it goes by that name or the name of Kirillo-Belozerks Monastery. This name too seems rather confusing since the town of Belozerks too is quite some distance away.

This monastery which was founded by St Kirill when he left Moscow appalled by the corrupt life lived by them. He came here and founded another monastery. As time went on, and Moscow needed protection from the Polish-Lithuanian forces who were heading for Moscow the monastery became a powerful bulwark against such invaders. Several of the tsars not only freed the monastery from having to pay taxes, but also strengthened its defences. The walls which surrounded the place are 36 feet (11 meters) high and thick enough to be pretty well impregnable.

Being this important to the protection of Moscow, the monastery became rich and powerful. Although, by the time of the civil war between the Bolsheviks (the Reds) and the Tsarists (the Whites), the monastery chose the side of the losers and consequently lost whatever power it had had. The condition of the existing structures reveals the neglect it had suffered over these last, many years.

But, even in this state, it is obvious how powerful and rich it had been.