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Before setting sail on our way to Goritsy Captain Boris invited us on a <tour of the ships bridge>.
We all gathered for a <cooking demonstration>. Today we had a cooking class on how to make Kreplak (pelmeni,) a dumpling similar to Polish pierogi. The meat- or vegetable-filled pelmeni were originally popular with hunters looking for easy-to-prepare, nourishing food to take with them on long hunting trips in the winter. Today, Kreplak is a Russian national dish.
Back on the river we cruise from <Kizhi to Goritsy>.
Day 10 July 9: -Goritsy -Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery
After breakfast this morning we had another cooking demonstration. Today our demonstration was a <Blini Party>. Blinis are small Russian pancake that is served with sour cream, caviar, or smoked salmon. We celebrated this regional dish by consuming our creations during the party.
When we started our river cruise from St Petersburg on the M/S Rossia the sister ship M/S Tikhi Don started its river cruise in Moscow. Today both ships <met and passed> one another in he middle of Lake Onega.
Goritsy
<Goritsy> is a medieval settlement near White Lake. The Russian writer Andrey Muraviov called Goritsy the "Russian Northern Thebais," an analogy for the Egyptian desert where early Christian hermits made their cells. This poetic comparison reflects Goritsy's numerous monasteries and the deep spiritual life of monks even today. The reason for our stop at Goritsy is the Kirillo-Belozerskiy monastery. The village of Goritsy itself is populated by just 600 people, who live in traditional painted wooden izbas, or log cabins and continue to make a living through fishing and farming. Walking around the peaceful back roads of the village reveals dozens of beautiful houses decorated with intricate wooden carvings.
Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery
Goritsy’s <Kirillo-Belozersky> monastery, built in 1397 by St. Kirill, who left a life of luxury to become closer to God. By the 16th century, the monastery was the second richest landowner in Russia and had close connections to ruler Ivan the Terrible. The monastery walls, 732 meters long and 7 meters thick, were constructed in 1654-80 to hold off Lithuanian invaders. They incorporate parts of the earlier citadel, which helped to withstand the Polish siege in 1612.
Before he was born, Ivan the Terrible’s parents prayed at the Kirillo-Belozersky monastery for God to give them an heir. When Ivan was old and sick he begged the monks to pray for God to forgive his bloody deeds. The monks believed that the terrible Tsar had transformed and hoped to see him prove his salvation by becoming a monk. This never happened. In 1563, Duchess Euphrosinia Staritskaya was forced to become a nun and permitted to stay as a nun in the Goritsky Monastery with her daughter-in-law, Yevdokiya Staritskaya. In 1569, both of them, following the order of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, were drowned in theSheksna River. Many priceless relics remain in the monastery including some of the earliest pieces of Russian religious writings and 500 year old icons painted by the Russian master Dionysius the Wise.
After returning to the ship it was time for some discovery. Today’s <discovery presentation> was the beverage that has been integral to the Russian culture for over 600 years: VODKA. Distilled even before it was named vodka (Russian word “voda,” or water), vodka was once believed to be a miracle-working medicine. Evgeny showed us how to drink 3 shots of Vodka at once, drink Vodka balanced on two fingers and drink Vodka on your elbow. It is very popular to drink Vodka with sliced sour pickles.