Ferapontov Monastery

Ferapontov Monastery is one of the most complete surviving Russian Orthodox monastic ensembles of the 15th–17th centuries. Its wall paintings are of exceptional importance to Russian sacred art. Founded in 1398 by the monk Ferapont.

The ensemble took shape from the 15th to 17th centuries and became an important religious and cultural centre in northern Russia. UNESCO records that the Ferapontov Monastery was founded in 1398 by the monk Ferapont and that its present ensemble was formed mainly between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries.

The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin, dated to 1490, is especially important because its interior preserves an almost complete cycle of frescoes by Dionisy, one of the leading Russian painters of the late fifteenth century. UNESCO regards the murals as an outstanding achievement of Russian monumental art.

Today the ensemble functions primarily as a state museum, while some churches are used by the Russian Orthodox Church. That mixed use should be reflected clearly so visitors do not assume that every part of the complex operates as an active monastery.