This summer, we will make a trip out of Moscow to have fresh air (34-35 °C since early July, but the wind makes the heat bearable). I promise that I will not talk about fires in Russia, nor smoke on Moscow, mainly as I was out of Russia at the most critical period.
The city of Sergiev Posad (Zagorsk of 1930-1991 during the Soviet era) is located at 75 km North-East of Moscow. Although it is now an industrial center with a population of over 100,000 people, this town is known for the Orthodox monastery called the Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra, Russian Orthodox symbol equivalent of the Vatican. It is a set of medieval buildings which can compete with those of the Kremlin. We also can visit in the city a toy museum, which presents several thousand traditional Russian and foreign pieces.
Sergiev Posad is part of the Golden Ring, a collection of princely towns located around Moscow and containing beautiful architectural buildings.
Sergiev Posad is part of the Golden Ring, a collection of princely towns located around Moscow and containing beautiful architectural buildings.
How to get there ?
Well, there's the car with a driver but it is very expensive. Without, it could also be expensive ! You must be patient because, as for many cities of the Golden Ring, you will need 5 to 6 hours of travel both directions given the traffic jams around Moscow.
For foreign tourists, the solution is the tour bus that is leaving early but there are English or French guide included in the price of the trip : several agencies in Moscow suggest that destination with a trip in the day.
Well, there's the car with a driver but it is very expensive. Without, it could also be expensive ! You must be patient because, as for many cities of the Golden Ring, you will need 5 to 6 hours of travel both directions given the traffic jams around Moscow.
For foreign tourists, the solution is the tour bus that is leaving early but there are English or French guide included in the price of the trip : several agencies in Moscow suggest that destination with a trip in the day.
Our choice, very economical, was to take the suburb train (elektritchka) because there are many trains for that direction and is easy to make the round trip in the day. Simply request tickets at the good railway station (there are 3 stations near Komsomolskaya metro). The condition is to speak and understand Russian because English or French are not familiar to railway station vendors. And do not forget to stop at the right station ! (Announcement and panel are in Russian)
You will have to walk 1/4h from the Sergiev Posad station to the monastery : the domes are visible from far and it's pretty easy to find it. You must cross the bus station and drop the asphalt pavement part of the trip. When you approach the site, the view is really splendid.
Before entering the monastery there are many souvenir shops : it is a site of pilgrimage visited by many Russians.
A bit of history ?
The monastery is considered the heart of Russian Orthodoxy, as it has been founded in the 14th century by Sergius, a monk from Rostov, Russia's patron saint. The monastery was originally built in wood by Serge and his supporters.
In the 15th century, the place acquires its true status of Laura (the highest ranking Orthodox monastery - there are only 4 in all Russia). The monastery was destroyed by the Tartars (great enemies of the Russians), shortly after the death of Sergius, but his tomb has survived.
In 1422, the year of his canonization, the reconstruction began. In the 16th century Ivan the Terrible has added a great number of buildings and churches. The monastery was a veritable fortress : it successfully resisted 16 months to Polish and Lithuanian armies in the early 16th century. Note that in 1685 the young Peter the Great took refuge with his mother and was rescued by the sanctity of the site (apparently !), and also by chance with the arrival of a regiment of cavalry. Several churches and buildings were added during the following centuries, the surrounding walls were raised.
Although the Russian capital has moved for some time in St. Petersburg, the Monastery of the Trinity Sergueiv Posad remained the center of the Russian Church until 1920, closing date by the Bolshevik government that sent the monks to work camp. Stalin allowed the reopening of the monastery in 1946 as part of celebrations of the victory of the war.
It is also now home for a university theology which occupies part of the site with its 700 students (information from our local guide).
This site was named a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1993.
This site was named a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1993.
The visit of the site :
Admission is free and you can freely visit most of the buildings (except those of monks and students in theology). However, for a reasonable price, local guides offer a tour of one hour in English, French or German : it helps to see other monuments like the mess that are accessible when you are alone.
To feel the mood, a short video:
The Cathedral of the Assumption (also called Dormition) is structurally similar to its namesake in the Kremlin - and equally impressive - the major difference being in the color scheme. Here the contrast is greater between the white walls, four azure domes with gold stars and the great golden dome. It is Ivan the Terrible who ordered its construction in 1559. To see inside the tomb of Godunov in the northwest corner of the cathedral : the father (Boris) was killed along with his son and a daughter (the other daughter, Xenia, died naturally).
The other main architectural attractions of the monastery are:
- The Chapel-over-the-Well (left photo) : this small chapel with "Naryshkin" style dates from the late 17th century, and consists of three octagonal prism with a square base. It is gay and looks like a sculptured and painted toy. It contains a miraculous spring.
To facilitate access to the source (many pilgrims were cured by this water), a fountain canopy (called the "canopy above the cross") was founded in 1872. The right photo shows the fountain where the pilgrims can drink the "miraculous" water source or fill a bottle. It is almost like Lourdes in France !
- The Trinity Cathedral, where is the tomb of Sergius (afterwards we understand why there are pilgrims who queue ...)
- The Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, right on the picture, with the tombs of St Maximus the Greek (scholar who translated the Greek liturgy and books in Russian) and St. Anthony of Radonezh (Vicar between 1831 and 1877)
- The St. Sergius Church and the Refectory, with the small church of St Mica (left first photo)
- The St Nikon Church, in memory of his work for the establishment of the monastery (with St. Sergius, the founder)
- The Church of the Virgin of Smolensk, built between 1746 and 1748 by order of Empress Elizabeth, in gratitude for a miracle (recovery of a monk)
- The Bell Tower, built between 1740 and 1770, one of the highest in Russia (88m) and its bell 65 tons weight
- The Water Tower, which was essential to the monastery
- The main entrance Tower, with its numerous icons on the walls, and the Church of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist above the porch, built between 1693 and 1699.
- And to complete the visit, the lovely Tsar Palace (we can’t visit it). The Empress Elizabeth, who made frequent visits to the monastery, founded the seminary in the apartments of the palace in 1742 and gave the title of "Laura" to this monastery. In 1814, the Theological Academy was transferred from Moscow to the Monastery of Sergiev Posad.
If you want to see more pictures or more detail about history and monuments, then have a glance on the multilingual web site http://www.stsl.ru/, very well done (and watch the video, it's as if you were there !)
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