Sergiev Posad Tour in Moscow
Monday
Sergiev Posad is situated about 70 km away from Moscow and is famous for the Trinity Lavra, the spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church, the most important and the largest men’s orthodox monastery in Russia. In XIV century, a wooden church in honour of the Holy Trinity was bulit here by one of the most venerated Russian saints, Sergius of Radonezh. Early development of the monastic community is documented in contemporary lives of Sergius and his followers. Soon the monastery became the spiritual centre of the Grand Duchy of Moscow. The settlement grew around the monastery and later, in 1742, the town status was granted to Sergiyev Posad. In 1408 the monastery was ruined by Tatars but in 1422 the first stone cathedral was built by a team of Serbian monks. The same year St. Sergius was declared the patron saint of the Russian state. The greatest icon painters of Russia, Andrei Rublev and Daniil Chyorny, decorated the cathedral with frescoes. The relics of St. Sergius still may be seen in this cathedral, dedicated to the Holy Trinity.