Implementation of new museum project “St. Kirill Belozersky. Internet Encyclopedia” began

June 22, 2016

“At this stage of work, we are fulfilling the tasks set earlier. The site structure has been already designed. Now we are preparing texts and illustrations about life, activity, spiritual deeds and miracles of St. Kirill Belozersky”, noted A.I. Smirnov, head of the Department of Information Technologies, head of the project.

According to L.V. Terebova, head of the Scientific Department in the Kirillo-Belozersky Museum-Reserve, it is planned to place various materials on the website about St. Kirill Belozersky, including photos and description of the articles connected with the saint, books from his library. The spiritual testament kept in the museum holdings is of special interest among the manuscripts. One of the site sections will be about the burial place of St. Kirill Belozersky – users will be able to see photos of the grave and elements of its decoration, to read materials connected with the archeological studies in the Church of St. Kirill. St. Kirill Belozersky is venerated not only in the Vologda region, but also far beyond it. The churches of St. Kirill were built in Novgorod, near Moscow, in the Archangelsk, the Vladimir and the Orenburg regions and the Republic of Tatarstan. Information about them and their location on the map of Russia will be also published on the new site. A large section will about the iconography of the saint. The images of St. Kirill are kept in various museum and private collections.

Special Internet addresses have been already registered for the project: Kirillbelozersky.ru and КириллБелозерский.рф. The site will be made by the Synapse Company.

Besides, the Kirillo-Belozersky Museum-Reserve is negotiating with other museums and organization partners about provision of St. Kirill’s images in the icons and church articles, pictures of unique museum items, icons, churches, chapels and other buildings connected with the saint. Their pictures will be sent in electronic form.

The Internet encyclopedia will contain various multimedia information: photos, virtual panoramas, 3D models, animation, video, audio and texts. A considerable part of the content will be made especially for the encyclopedia while implementing this project. Thus, the possibilities of the Internet encyclopedia “St. Kirill Belozersky” will be more multifold in comparison with the book. It is obvious that it will become a topical and up-to-date Internet resource that will be able to arouse interest of not only Vologda’s residents, but also citizens of other Russian regions in the historical past and spiritual experience of our ancestors, and will help them to reconsider the role of Orthodoxy in the history of our country.

* A brief historical note:

St. Kirill Belozersky, disciple of St. Sergy of Radonezh, founder of the monastery on the shore of Lake Siverskoye in the Belozersk principality, is one of the most outstanding Christian ascetics in Medieval Russia. Clergymen played a prominent part both in church and political affairs in that period of Russian history.

St. Sergy of Radonezh, one of the most influential and respected representatives of the clergy in Muscovy of the 14th century, was an adherent of consolidation of Russian lands around Moscow. Father Superior Sergy and his successors blessed monks who went to the northern forests in search of seclusion. Other monks joined the hermits founding monasteries. New cloisters were located far from towns and cities. They supported Orthodoxy, extended the political will of Moscow princes, and became important spiritual and large cultural centres. The Belozersk region was situated on the northern borders of the Moscow princes’ domain that deeply wedged into Novgorod lands. Going to the northern region, St. Kirill Belozersky began to have more influence on the solution of some politic issues than in the period of his life at the Simonov Monastery in Moscow. St. Kirill Belozersky was in correspondence with the princes who were sons of Dmitry Donskoy. His numerous disciples and followers founded new cloisters and exerted influence on political affairs in their turn. Being one of the most influential representatives of the clergy, St. Kirill Belozersky was canonized soon after his death, in the middle of the 15th century. The brethren of the monastery founded by him reverently kept St. Kirill’s personal belongings and books. These unique articles have come down to us. The saint is buried in the church erected over his grave in the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery.

It is planned to open the new Internet recourse in January 2017.