(Source: http://russian-church.ru/viewpage.php?cat=vologda&page=20)

Nilo-Sorskaya hermitage stands in 18 km from Kirillov. It was founded by the Rev. Nil, monk of Cyril-Belozersky Monastery. Nil, the ideological leader of the "non-possessors", with his scholar Innocentius left the Cyril-Belozersky monastery in 1450 and went on pilgrimage to Byzantium and Mount Athos.

When he returned a few years later, he put the priory here. Many monks asked to be taken to the priory, but Neil took only those who distinguished himself in the monastic work. During his life the mansion was very humble: it consisted of one church – Sretenskaya Church - and not more than 12 cells. But the authority of the elder was so high that the highest hierarchy of the Church defers his opinion.

Beggarly ideas in the monastery were so strong that the property, the food and clothing of the monks were shared. The food they hunted only by "needlework", that is grown by themselves, they even built a mill on meeting the needs of the monks.  In his testament the Rev. Nil asked to throw his body to the wild beasts and birds after his death as a sinful and unworthy for burial, and if they make the funeral, do it "with every dishonor." The Rev. Nil died on 7 (20) of May 1508 and was buried near the Sretensky church. Later, above the grave of the Rev. Nil they put a chapel in the name of John the Baptist, and next to it they erected a warm church of Saint Ephrem Sirin with a frater.

Ivan the Terrible, who visited the monastery in 1569, wanted to construct a stone church here. But the Reverend Nil appeared in his dream and forbade doing it. Therefore for a long time the monastery remained completely wooden. After the death of Nil Sorskiy the monastery fell into disrepair and was revived only in the XIX century by the efforts of the monk Nikon in the Nil’s schema. Five-domed stone cathedral of Tikhvinskaya Mother of God and stone walls were built here. Today Nilo-Sorskaya hermitage is a sad sight - almost all the buildings, except the walls are destroyed.

Only walls remained from the Tikhvinsky cathedral, the head felled and arches destroyed. The tomb of Rev.Nil Sorskiy is not indicated. The place, where was his hermitage, overgrown by weeds and bushes. And now a Psychiatric Hospital is located here.