Sergiyev Posad / Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius
Троице-Сергиева лавра
The “Vatican” of Russian Orthodoxy, a UNESCO World Heritage monastery founded by St. Sergius in 1337, with blue-and-gold star onion domes and icons by Rublev, and the top choice for a Golden Ring day trip.
Sergiyev Posad is located 70 km northeast of Moscow and is the closest of the Golden Ring ancient towns to the capital. Its centerpiece is the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, founded in 1337 by St. Sergius of Radonezh. It is Russian Orthodoxy's most important monastery and pilgrimage site and was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1993. The oldest building in the monastery, the Trinity Cathedral (1422), holds the relics of St. Sergius, and Rublev's “Trinity” icon was originally created for it (the original is now replaced with a copy). The Dormition Cathedral (1585), with its blue domes dotted with gold stars, was modeled on the cathedral of the same name in the Kremlin, and in front of it is the tomb of the Godunov family. The 88-meter, five-tier bell tower is one of the tallest in Russia. The monastery also has a theological seminary, a holy spring where you can collect water for free, and a monastery bakery, where honey gingerbread and kvass are recommended. Entry to the monastery is free. Admission to the church museum and the treasury is about 300 to 500 rubles. Women need to cover their heads and wear long skirts (these can be borrowed at the entrance), men must remove their hats, and photographing monks and services is not allowed. The town also has a toy museum, one of the birthplaces of the Russian nesting doll. Getting there: take an electric commuter train from Moscow's Yaroslavsky Station for about 1.5 hours (about 300 rubles; the express train takes 1 hour), or take bus 388 from VDNKh metro station for about 1.5 hours. From the station, the monastery is a 15-minute walk. Half a day is enough, and it can also be combined with Pereslavl-Zalessky for a Golden Ring day trip.
Opening hours
Monastery 05:00–21:00; museum 10:00–17:30, closed Mondays
Nearby sights
- Izmailovo Kremlin & Vernissage Market
- Kuskovo Estate
- Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics
- VDNKh
- Ostankino Tower
- Bunker-42 Cold War Museum
- Nikolskaya Street
- Zaryadye Park