Zagorsk
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It would be difficult to imagine Orthodox Christianity or indeed Russia itself without the city of Sergiyev Posad (formerly Zagorsk) or its centerpiece , the Trinity - St. Sergius Lavra. The origins of the monastery founded in the 1340"s by St.Sergius of Radonezh are modest. Sergius was an ascetic monk who settled in the forest with his brother and gradually built up a community of like-minded people. With his followers he played a major role in the spiritual consolidation of a Russia demoralized by Tatar oppression. Hegumen Sergius was the first among the clergymen who openly supported the resistance against the Tatar invaders. It was he who gave his blessing to Moscow Grand Prince Dmitry Donskoi, who took command of the joint Russian armies, on the eve of the historic Battle on Kulikovo Field.
Though destroyed during a Tatar raid in 1408, the monastery was soon being rebuilt, and 15 years later the Trinity Cathedral, the oldest and perhaps still the finest of the monastery"s churches, was completed on the site of Sergius"s grave. Though made of white stone and pre-Mongolian in style, it was the first church to include kokoshniki, a type of awning over the facades. It formerly housed Andrey Rublyov"s Old Testment Trinity, the finest surviving work of ancient Russian art, which is now on display in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. Rublyov"s work is replaced here by a copy.
Nearby stands the shorter and slender Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, the second oldest in the ensemble, built in 1476 by Pskov masters. This is the oldest surviving church in Russia with a bell-tower contained under its roof.
In the 15-th century the monks decided to fortify the Lavra, and raised a huge brick fortress complete with moats and stakes. One result was to dwarf the Trinity Cathedral. In 1559 Ivan the Terrible commissioned a new cathedral, the blue and gold domed Assumption, which when finished 30 years later became the monastery"s dominant structure, and remains so today.
The monastery survived a bitter seize at the beginning of the 17th century. A hundred years later, after supporting Peter the Great in his struggle for power, it was rewarded with many of the exquisite buildings which grace its precincts today. Most not able of these is the Refectory, whose walls seem carpeted with lush decoration.
Building continued into the 18th century with a magnificent bell-tower which, although the tallest in Russia, nonetheless preserves the harmony of the ensemble; its successive layers are equal in height to that of other buildings in the monastery.
Over its long history, a great number of beautiful icons, jewelry pieces, embroideries, and other superb works of art have been donated to the Trinity-St.Sergius Lavra.
Today these fine masterpieces are kept at the Zagorsk History and Art Museum-Reserve where the exhibition acquaints the visitor with the history of the development of Russian art from the 15-th century on. One genre in which it excels above all other collections, however, is tapestry. It also includes a full-length portrait of St.Sergius, possibly made by Rublyov himself.
The picturesque ensemble of the monastery itself, comprising over 50 buildings and structures, is a true gem of Russian architecture.
The Trinity-St-Sergius Lavra houses the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary.
The Sergiyev Posad area has long been known for handmade wooden toys.