Sergiev Posad (Trinity Lavra)
Russia's most important monastery, with blue-and-gold domes inside a fortified wall an hour from Moscow.
About
The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius is a working monastery and a place of pilgrimage. Inside the white walls stand cathedrals, a tall bell tower and a refectory with a patterned facade. The Dormition Cathedral, with its blue domes covered in gold stars, is the centrepiece.
Visitors should dress modestly and expect queues of worshippers at the tomb of St. Sergius. Photography may be limited inside.
The town of Sergiev Posad is also known for traditional wooden toys, and a museum of toys is a good second stop.
History
Tradition dates the monastery to the fourteenth century, when Sergius of Radonezh founded a small settlement in the forest. It grew into a powerful landowner and defensive stronghold, and survived centuries of war and upheaval. It was listed by UNESCO in 1993. The white-stone Trinity Cathedral was built in the 1420s over the tomb of Sergius, and the larger Dormition Cathedral was added under Ivan IV in the sixteenth century. The monastery withstood a long siege in 1608 to 1610, during the Time of Troubles. It was closed in the early Soviet years and returned to the Church after the Second World War.
UNESCO World Heritage: Inscribed 1993.