Msta River
The Msta River was an important waterway connecting Novgorod to the lands in the north, at least from the 9th century. Chronicles mention that Olga of Kiev traveled up the Msta River in 947 and founded a "pogost" which is believed to have been located close to the current location of Lyubytino. The area eventually fell under the control of the Novgorod Republic, and in the 15th century, after the fall of Novgorod, it was annexed by the Grand Duchy of Moscow. In the 16th and the 17th centuries, the region was attractive to monks looking for solitude. In particular, the Ryokonsky Monastery was founded in 1680.