Belozersk is a
town and the
administrative center of
Belozersky District in
Vologda Oblast,
Russia, located on the southern bank of
Lake Beloye, from which it takes the name, northwest of
Vologda, the administrative center of the
oblast. Population:
History
Known as
Beloozero (, lit.
white lake) until 1777, it was first chronicled in 862 as one of the five original Russian towns (the other four being
Murom,
Novgorod,
Polotsk, and
Rostov). According to the
Primary Chronicle,
Sineus, a brother of
Rurik, became the prince of Beloozero in 862. However, most likely Sineus never existed. On several occasions, the settlement was moved from one bank of the lake to another.