He created the Trinity Monastery. Which monasteries were founded by Sergius of Radonezh and his disciples?

Saint Sergius of Radonezh is the hieromonk of the Russian Church, the founder of monasteries, among which the well-known Saint is not for nothing called the defender of the Russian land; he made every effort to unite it for a decisive rebuff to enemy conquerors. The emergence of the spiritual culture of Holy Rus' is associated with his name, he became the founder of the Russian eldership, and monasticism, which was begun by the great ascetics Anthony and Theodosius of the Kiev-Pechersk, was resumed with him. In the 15th century, Sergius of Radonezh was canonized. And before answering the question that worries many about where the relics of Sergius of Radonezh are located, let us first plunge into the life history of this great saint.

Life

The God-bearing Father was born on May 3, 1314 into the pious peasant family of Cyril and Mary (who were also canonized) in Rostov. True, his name was Bartholomew then. The Lord himself chose him to serve people. Pregnant Mary, standing at a service in the temple, suddenly heard the cry of a baby three times from her womb, heard by the people around her and by the priest himself, who immediately realized that a true servant of the Orthodox faith would soon be born.

In his youth, Bartholomew was sent to school, but his weak memory did not give him the opportunity to study well. One day, while walking through an oak grove, he saw an old monk who looked like an angel, and he blessed him for good studies. Bartholomew devoted a lot of time to reading the Holy Scriptures; he wanted to devote his life to God and become a monk, but while his parents were alive, he made a vow to himself.

Soon their whole family moved from Rostov to Radonezh, where after some time the parents reposed before the Lord. In 1337, Bartholomew gave away all his property and, together with his brother Stefan, who was already a monk, settled on the deserted Makovets hill. My brother soon couldn't stand it anymore harsh life in the wilderness and returned to the brethren.

Bartholomew was left alone, then he was 23 years old. One day Hieromonk Mitrofan came to him, who blessed him to become a monk with the name Sergius.

People in the area quickly learned about the pious monk, and other monks were drawn to him. Together they began to build a small chapel in honor of Then, with God's help, a monastery was built. Smolensk Archimandrite Simon once made a special visit to them and left precious gifts for the brethren to expand the monastery and build a large church.

Holy Trinity Lavra of Sergius

Since 1355, with the blessing of Philotheus, a communal charter was adopted in the monastery of Father Sergius of Radonezh. Very soon the Holy Trinity Monastery became the center of Moscow lands, supported by the princes. It was here that Sergius of Radonezh blessed Dmitry Donskoy for the Battle of Kulikovo (September 21, 1380).

The Monk Sergius gave his soul to the Lord on September 25, 1392. He had a presentiment of this and gathered the brethren in advance to bless his student, the intelligent and experienced Reverend Nikon, for the abbess.

Saint Sergius of Radonezh played a huge role in the unification of Rus'. He did the literally impossible - he reconciled two at that time warring religions. He explained to the Vedic Russians that faith in Jesus Christ has nothing in common with Western Christianity and that Christ did not teach the crusades, the destruction of Vedic idols and the burning of heretics at the stake. He explained to everyone that now there is absolutely no time for hostility when such perverted Christianity is coming from the West. These pseudo-Christians, under the guise of the name of Christ, commit the most heinous crimes. Saint Sergius of Radonezh was a true mourner of the Russian land; he always prayed for Rus', so that its vigilant and accursed enemy would not overcome it.

Strong walls of the monastery

The heirs to the royal throne were baptized in the famous Holy Trinity Monastery Vasily III and Ivan the Terrible. Soon this monastery turned into a defensive fortress, which was surrounded by stone walls with 12 towers. Ivan the Terrible personally supervised the construction. All this later came in handy when defending against the troops of False Dmitry II.

In 1608-1609, the Sergiev Posad land repulsed a powerful army of thousands of Poles led by governors Sapieha and Lisovsky. Then the Russian governors were Prince G.B. Roshcha-Dolgoruky and nobleman Alexei Golokhvastov. They prayed incessantly and knew that Saint Sergius of Radonezh was always helping them. They kept his relics like the apple of their eye. At the tomb of the holy elder, everyone kissed the cross and swore that they would never leave their monastery alive.

what does it help with?

In any church you can always find the image of the Venerable Elder Sergius. His icon conveys to us a deep look, full of humility and wisdom. On May 3/May 16, 2014, a great date was celebrated - the 700th anniversary of the birth of St. Sergius of Radonezh, whom everyone considered a saint during his lifetime. He was respected by various rulers, princes, boyars and ordinary people.

It is not for nothing that many are interested in the question: “What does the icon of Sergius of Radonezh help with?” People turn to the face of the saint with sincere prayer to receive protection and help in unpleasant life circumstances. And parents ask him for their children, so that they study well, are well-mannered and kind, and never fall under someone’s bad influence.

Prayer Book Help

St. Sergius of Radonezh does not leave anyone inconsolable: his relics have the power that is capable of healing. The monks of the monastery described a huge number of cases of miraculous healing.

He makes everyone think about their life and feel whether they are ready to lay down their lives for the Fatherland, as our ancient ancestors did at the prompting of the holy seer?

The real amulet of Russia from its enemies is St. Sergius of Radonezh. The relics, to which hundreds of thousands of pilgrims come, are miraculous and healing.

The holy elder peacefully departed to the Lord on September 25/October 8, 1392. After three decades, the miraculous relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh were majestically discovered, which were always kept in the monastery as long as it was safe.

Many people are interested in the question of how to properly venerate relics. As usual, everyone venerates only the silver ark in which the relics of Holy Father Sergius are kept, where at the level of the head there is a special door, which is sometimes opened, then it is possible to venerate the covered head of the saint.

History of the relics

I would like to supplement the topic “Sergius of Radonezh: relics” with one amazing story from the priest’s grandson. On Lazarus Saturday before Easter 1919, the opening of the relics of the saint by the Soviet authorities was supposed to take place. The safe preservation of the relics was called into question. Father Pavel found out about this and arranged a secret meeting with the governor of the monastery, Father Kronid, Count Yu. A. Olsufiev (member of the commission for the protection of monuments), S. P. Mansurov and M. V. Shik, who then became priests. They secretly came to the Trinity Cathedral, read a prayer in front of the shrine containing the relics of the saint, then, using a spear, separated the head of the saint and replaced it with the head of Prince Trubetskoy, who had once been buried in the Lavra. The head of Saint Sergius was temporarily left to be kept in the sacristy. Count Olsufiev then placed the head of the saint in an oak ark and began to keep it at home (Sergiev Posad, Valovaya Street). In 1928, fearing arrest, he buried the ark in his garden.

Successful operation

In 1933, after Father Pavel was arrested, Olsufiev fled to Nizhny Novgorod, there he told this story to Pavel Aleksandrovich Golubtsov (the future Bishop Sergius - Bishop of Novgorod), who soon managed to take the ark from the count’s garden and move it to the Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery near Moscow. There the ark was kept until the end of the Great Patriotic War. Returning from the war, Golubtsov handed over the ark with the shrine adopted daughter Olsufieva E.P. Vasilchikova, who secretly gave the honorable head of St. Sergius to Patriarch Alexy I in 1946. And he blessed it to be returned to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra when it reopened.

Conclusion

Now we can fully answer the question: “Where are the relics of Sergius of Radonezh?” They are still kept in the Holy Trinity Lavra. Almost every day thousands of pilgrims come to pray to the holy relics. In the monastery, near the relics, real miracles occur, which do not go unnoticed and are recorded in detail so that everyone has faith and hope for healing.

In honor of the Venerable Abbot Sergius, a huge number of churches and monasteries were built in Moscow and St. Petersburg and Leningrad region, in Arkhangelsk, Tula, Tyumen and other regions.

| August | September | October | November | December

(1342*)

670 years since its founding

The Trinity-Sergius Monastery stands in the very center of the city of Sergiev Posad on a low hill, called Makovets in ancient times. The monastery was founded in the 30-40s of the 14th century (there are several well-reasoned dates for the foundation of the monastery: 1337, 1342, 1345*).

“The Trinity Monastery was founded by St. Sergius, who contributed to the unification of the appanage principalities around Moscow during the period of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. Starting with a small church and a single cell, cut down by the founder, the monastery eventually became the most beautiful monastery in northeastern Rus' and remains so.

We know very little about the ancient appearance of the monastery. In the 15th century the compilers of the “Lives” of St. Sergius Epiphanius the Wise and Pachomius the Serb outlined the “House Life-Giving Trinity“like a deserted, wild, overgrown place, where bears approached the cells, and wolves howled at night.

Already during the life of Sergius, in the second half of the 14th century, the territory of the monastery was somewhat expanded and its layout was carried out. The cells were arranged “in a four-shape”, with the church in the middle, which determined the peculiarity of its architectural appearance - the main square with the temple, surrounded by a rectangle of residential buildings...” Tokareva, T. Yu. Architectural monuments of the 14th-18th centuries // Sergiev Posad. A look through the centuries. - Sergiev Posad: Remarco, 2009. - pp. 31-32.

*For all well-reasoned proven dates of the founding of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery (1337, 1342; 1345), there are references to sources:

Baldin, V.I. Foundation of the Trinity Monastery. The emergence of settlements. Sub-monastery villages and settlements at the end of the 15th century. // Zagorsk. History of the city and its layout. - M.: Stroyizdat, 1981. - P.12-15. - (Architectural monuments).

Bureichenko, I.I. On the question of the founding date of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery // Communications of the Zagorsk State Historical and Art Museum of the Reserve. Issue 2. / ed. I.I.Bureichenko. - Zagorsk: CBTI of the Moscow Regional Economic Council, 1958. - P.3-11.

Golubinsky, E. Venerable Sergius of Radonezh and the Trinity Lavra created by him [Electronic resource] / E. Golubinsky // House of the Life-Giving Trinity: official website of the Holy Trinity Lavra of Sergius. - Access mode: http://www.stsl.ru/lib/book7/index.htm. - November 22, 2011.

Kloss, B.M. Selected works. T.I. Life of Sergius of Radonezh / B.M. Kloss. - M.: Languages ​​of Russian Culture, 1998. - P.30.

Chronicle of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra[Electronic resource] // House of the Life-Giving Trinity: official website of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra. - Access mode: http://www.stsl.ru/history/xiv/xiv.htm. - November 22, 2011.

Pages of history/ Zagorsk Museum-Reserve: guide / comp.: T.N. Manushina; author: O.I. Zaritskaya and [others]; reviewer: V.I. Baldin. - Ed. add. and processed - M.: Moscow worker, 1990. - P.10-35.

Filimonov, K.A. First settlements. XIV-XVI centuries Venerable Sergius of Radonezh. Foundation of the Trinity Monastery // Sergiev Posad. Pages of history / text: K. Filimonov, comp. : N. Solovyov, K. Filimonov; preface: T. Manushina. - M.: Podkova, 1997. - P.15-19.

Address: Russia, Moscow region, Sergiev Posad
Based: in 1337
Founder: Sergius of Radonezh
Main attractions: Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity (1423), Cathedral of the Assumption Holy Mother of God(1585), Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit (1477), Gate Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist (1699), Church of the Smolensk Icon Mother of God(1748), bell tower (1770)
Shrines: relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh, relics of St. Micah, Nikon, Dionysius of Radonezh, St. Maxim the Greek, St. Anthony (Medvedev), Saints Serapion of Novgorod, Joasaph of Moscow, Innocent of Moscow, Macarius (Nevsky)
Coordinates: 56°18"37.3"N 38°07"48.9"E

The Trinity-Sergius Lavra, or Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, is a male stauropegial monastery founded in the 14th century by St. Sergius of Radonezh (in the world Bartholomew). It is located 52 km from Moscow, in the city of Sergiev Posad. According to historical sources, the future founder of the Lavra was born in the spring of 1314 into a boyar family living in Rostov.

Holy Trinity Lavra of Sergius from a bird's eye view

The parents named their newborn baby Bartholomew, and from childhood they raised him in faith in the Almighty. Some time after his birth, little Bartholomew and his family went to permanent place residence in the town of Radonezh. There, with all family members, he regularly attended all the services conducted by the ministers of the Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos (at that time the shrine was part of the Intercession Khotkov Monastery).

Having reached the age of 20, Bartholomew decided to accept monasticism and devote himself to the Lord, and asked for parental blessing for this activity. Of course, the father and mother approved of their son’s life choice, but they asked him not to enter monasticism until their death.

They motivated this request by their old age and the lack of close people who could take care of them, because Bartholomew’s older brothers were already married at that time and lived in own homes. But in 1337, after the death of his parents, Bartholomew finally realized his dream of serving God and went with his brother Stefan, who was widowed by that time, to the wilderness of the Moscow region.

Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

On Makovtse Hill, located near the Konchura River, they built a small temple, honoring the Holy Trinity with this action. Three years later, in 1340, the temple was consecrated.

Life in the wilderness turned out to be joyless for Stefan, and he left his brother, who meekly served the Lord. Not having the kind of fortitude that Bartholomew had, Stefan moved to the Moscow Epiphany Monastery and later became its abbot. Bartholomew himself spent the day and night in work, worries and prayers. So 2 years passed, and the rumor about the silent hermit spread throughout the area. His skete began to be surrounded by the cells of other monks who wished to serve the Almighty in the wilderness and took up isolated residence in the Trinity Hermitage.

Red gate tower with Holy Gate

After some time, ordinary residents appeared in the same area, trying to hide in the wilderness from the invasion of the Tatars.

The abbot of the Holy Trinity Monastery, Father Mitrofan, took upon himself all the care of the monks. He tonsured Bartholomew a monk, giving him the name Sergius. The newly minted monk became a faithful assistant to the abbot, and when his mentor passed away, Sergius himself began to take care of the inhabitants of the monastery and its improvement.

The heyday of the Trinity Monastery under Sergius of Radonezh

Initially, the monastery was located on the southwestern slope of Makovetsky Hill. The Trinity Church with a refectory stood surrounded by wooden cells, and all the buildings were buried in the greenery of centuries-old trees.

Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity

Immediately behind the cells there were vegetable gardens laid out by the monks. There they grew vegetables and erected small outbuildings.

The fence of the Trinity Monastery was a wooden fence, and the top of the entrance gate was decorated with a church that perpetuated the memory of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica. You could get into the monastery courtyard along a narrow path, which was later widened to allow carts to pass through. In general, all the buildings of the Lavra were divided into 3 parts: public, residential, defensive. It is noteworthy that the repeated reconstructions carried out on the territory of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra did not affect the layout of the buildings.

Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit

According to the Lavra Chronicle, in the 60s of the 14th century, Sergius not only accepted the priesthood, but also received a letter, a cross and a simple blessing in verbal form from Felofey, Patriarch of Constantinople (he approved Sergius’ decision to introduce the rules of the “Common Rule” in the monastery ). The number of inhabitants in the monastery grew steadily, and in 1357 Archimandrite Simon moved here. Thanks to his rich donations, a new Trinity Church and buildings for various purposes were built in the monastery courtyard.

Sergius of Radonezh died at the end of September 1392 in the Holy Trinity Monastery itself. The holy founder of the Lavra was buried at the Trinity Church.

Church of Zosima and Savvatiy at the hospital wards

The main buildings of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, which have become its attractions

The white-stone Trinity Cathedral, built from 1422 to 1423, became the first Russian architectural monument honoring the founder of the Lavra, Sergius of Radonezh. The golden-domed shrine appeared on the territory of the monastery in the year of the canonization of Sergius, when his name was officially announced as the “patron of the Russian land.” The ashes of the deceased saint are kept here, in the cathedral, and the tombstone with his image is in the museum. The iconostasis of the cathedral is rich in works by Andrei Rublev, Daniil Cherny and the best masters their schools. Among all the icons, the “Trinity” created by Rublev himself stands out. How main temple Lavra Trinity Cathedral during construction was decorated with strict ornamental ribbons, in keeping with the traditions of asceticism.

Church of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God

The second most important shrine building is the Temple of the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. Its construction was carried out in 1476 by Pskov masons, who used brick in their work. The result of their work was the Spiritual Church, attractive with the unusual location of the bell tower under the dome. In ancient times, churches with such a top were called “like bells,” which meant a combination of a church and a belfry in one building. But overall her style is uncomplicated.

The Assumption Cathedral is recognized as the main one in the Lavra. Its construction began back in 1559 by the craftsmen of Ivan the Terrible. And work on the construction of the cathedral ended in 1584, under Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich.

Metropolitan's chambers

The appearance of the shrine is distinguished by its simultaneous simplicity and severity, and only the five-domed top indicates its greatness. The interior of the cathedral is attractive with a huge carved iconostasis. Behind it, high above, there are platforms for singers. During the monks’ chants, parishioners feel as if their voices are coming “like from heaven.” All the walls and vaults of this cathedral are covered unique frescoes. Their production dates back to the summer of 1684, and the names of the artists can be read on the western wall of the temple, under the towel painting.

The Temple of Zosima and Savvaty of Solovetsky is a neat tented church that appeared in the monastery courtyard in honor of the disciples of Sergius of Radonezh. It is part of the Hospital Wards complex.

Bell tower

For a long time, no one was involved in its improvement, and it gradually collapsed. But thanks to the skillful actions of the experienced restorer Trofimov I.V. The red and white temple regained its former grandeur and became one of the picturesque corners of the monastery. Inside it is decorated with green glazed tiles.

Smolensk Church is an elegant building, part of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. It owes its appearance to the architect Ukhtomsky, who designed it in the “Elizabethan Baroque” style. The unusual layout of the building lies in its 8-sided shape with curvilinear convex-concave edges. The lower part of the church is represented by a high white stone plinth. To date, 3 porches with grand staircases have been restored in the shrine building.

Tomb of the Godunovs

The crown of the head-shako is a cross trampling the crescent. This design of the top of the church is explained by wars with Muslim Turkey - a frequent occurrence in the 18th century.

The Nadkladeznaya Chapel is located next to the Assumption Cathedral. Its unusual appearance immediately attracts the attention of parishioners. Three octagons installed on a quadrangle - this architectural design was often found in the design of buildings of the 17th century, and the Nadkladeznaya Chapel became another embodiment of Naryshkin architecture. Another Nadkladeznaya chapel, Pyatnitskaya, stands east of the Pyatnitskaya and Vvedenskaya churches. Over the several centuries of its existence, it has lost many decorations and has not experienced restoration.

Gate Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist

But its wavy roof with light eights, the remains of platbands and a skillfully crafted entrance portal speak of former beauty this small building.

The Tsar's Palace is a huge royal palace built for Alexei Mikhailovich. Such a distinguished guest often visited the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, and his retinue included more than 500 souls. This a large number of visitors needed a certain shelter, which explained the appearance of the Halls in the monastery courtyard. Despite its purpose - to provide a roof over the head of the king and his entourage, the spacious building had simple shapes. However, the decoration of its interiors, and the external tiles, and 2 tiled stoves seemed to hint at what kind of dear guests this building was being prepared for.

The Trinity-Sergius Lavra was founded by one of the most revered saints in Rus' - Sergius of Radonezh. The history of the monastery is connected with many important events of the Russian state: the Battle of Kulikovo, the difficult period of the Mongol-Tatar yoke, the fight against foreign invaders and the first years of the reign of Peter the Great - all these pages of history did not pass by the monastery.

Russian rulers honored the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, came here on pilgrimages and provided assistance to the monastery. Tsar Boris Godunov and members of his family are buried near the walls of the Assumption Cathedral - Tsarina Maria, Tsarevich Theodore and Tsarevna Ksenia, and Olga as a monk.

The Trinity-Sergius Lavra is an active monastery located near Moscow; you can visit it on a one-day trip or during a tour of the Golden Ring.

Trinity-Sergius Lavra - foundation

Sergei of Radonezh was the son of the pious Rostov boyars Cyril and Maria. As a child, his parents did not bless him for monastic life. Only when, shortly before his death, they went to a monastery, Sergei of Radonezh decided to devote his life to serving God.

But he did not go to one of the existing monasteries, but together with his older brother Stefan settled in a deep forest.

For reference: Sergei of Radonezh (in the world Bartholomew) was born in 1313, he was the middle son in the family. His teenage years were spent in study, work and prayer in the city of Radonezh, where his parents settled.

Bartholomew was a deeply religious, kind, honest and modest person; he became the support of his elderly parents, not leaving them until his last days.

The founding date of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra is considered to be 1337, when 23-year-old Bartholomew, together with his brother, built a hut and a small church dedicated to the Holy Trinity on a small hill in the forest, away from the noise of roads and villages.

This is how the later famous Trinity-Sergius Lavra was founded.

Brother Stefan could not stand the difficult conditions of a solitary life and went to the Moscow Epiphany Monastery. Sergei of Radonezh lived alone for several years, but soon other monks began to gather around him, each of whom built himself a hut and cultivated his own garden.

Formation of the monastery

When the number of monks increased to 12, all buildings were surrounded by a fence for safety from animals. There were no leaders in the monastery and, thanks to respect, Sergius of Radonezh played the role of leader. Soon, by order of the Moscow church authorities, he was ordained a priest and appointed abbot.

A charter began to operate in the monastery, in accordance with which the monks formed a single community and began to run a joint household.

In this regard, the structure of the monastery also changed: a refectory and utility rooms were built. The church was located in the center of the monastery, and on four sides of it there were cells. A gate church was built above the main gate in the name of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica.

At that time the monastery was poor, there was not enough bread and salt, butter and flour.

In the first decade of its existence, the monastery became widely known, and Sergius of Radonezh was highly respected by Prince Dmitry Donskoy. Metropolitan of Russia Orthodox Church Alexy wanted the Trinity Abbot to become his successor, but Sergius of Radonezh refused such an honor.

Monastery during the Mongol-Tatar yoke

The time when St. Sergius of Radonezh lived (1314-1392) was very difficult for Rus': constant raids by the Mongol-Tatars forced people to think only about how to survive.

St. Sergius considered it his duty to take care of their spiritual education. On the eve of the Battle of Kulikovo, he blessed Dmitry Donskoy to fight the horde of Mamai. Inspired by the instructions of the abbot, the soldiers of Dmitry Donskoy defeated the army of Mamai.

Also, the Trinity abbot tried to try on the princes who were at war with each other.

The monastery became a real center of culture and education.

However, at that time the monastery was not well fortified; there was only a wooden fence to protect it. Therefore, during the attack on the Russian lands of Khan Toktamysh, the monks were forced to take refuge in a safe place - on the territory of the Tver Principality. This time the monastery survived, but in 1408, during the speech of Khan Edigei, it was destroyed. Thanks to the efforts of Hegumen Nikon, the successor of Sergius of Radonezh, the monastery was rebuilt.

Construction of stone churches of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra inXVcentury

In 1422, the year of the official canonization of St. Sergius, the monastery was decorated with new stone buildings.

Trinity Cathedral

On the site of the old wooden church, the white-stone Trinity Cathedral was erected by the Monk Nikon “in honor and praise” of the founder of the monastery. Among those who contributed funds for the construction was the son of Dmitry Donskoy, Prince of Zvenigorod and Galitsky Yuri Dmitrievich.

Trinity Cathedral is the oldest white-stone church of the monastery, built in 1422-1425. There is often a queue to see the beautiful silver shrine where the relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh rest.

The interior of the cathedral was decorated with paintings made by painters Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny. Unfortunately, the frescoes have not survived to this day, but icons by Andrei Rublev can be seen in the unique five-tiered iconostasis.

It was for this iconostasis that the famous icon of Andrei Rublev “The Holy Trinity” was created, which was in the temple before the October Revolution, and then was transferred to the State Tretyakov Gallery, where it is currently located.

Next to the shrine there is an inconspicuous double-leaf forged iron door; this is the entrance to the chapel of the cathedral, the Serapion Chamber, in which Orthodox shrines are kept, there are more than five hundred of them. There is a 5-7 cm hole preserved on the door; this is a trace from a Polish cannonball that flew into the temple during the siege of the monastery and, fortunately, did not explode. The chamber is named after Serapion, the former archimandrite of the Trinity Monastery, who was buried here.

In 1476, Pskov craftsmen erected a brick church-belfry in the name of the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles.

The fortress walls, towers and the Dmitrievskaya Gate Church were still wooden.

Construction of defensive structures

In the XIV-XVII centuries, Rus' experienced severe pressure in the east from the Golden Horde, in the west - from the Principality of Lithuania. These forces could only be resisted single state. A unified defensive system began to be created on the scale of the entire Russian state.

The Trinity-Sergius Monastery, located on the outskirts of Moscow, became an important fortress designed to protect the capital.

The construction of new defensive structures of the monastery began in the 1540-1550s. Then a stone wall about 1.5 kilometers long was built in the shape of an irregular quadrangle with 12 towers (11 have survived to date). The natural barrier for the enemy was the ravines, and additional obstacles were the dug ditch and pond.

In the middle of the 17th century, the fortifications were strengthened, improved and acquired a modern look.

The walls of the fortress have three battle tiers, and most of the towers have six tiers. The most interesting of them are Pyatnitskaya and Krasnaya, Utochya and Beer towers.

• The beer tower had a spare, or secret, exit from the fortress, through which sorties took place during the siege of the fortress at the beginning of the 17th century
• The Corner Duck Tower was named so because, according to legend, Tsar Peter the Great used it to shoot ducks swimming in a pond next to the fortress wall.
• The Pyatnitskaya Tower previously had a tower for monitoring the surrounding area. During the siege of the fortress, the tower was destroyed and rebuilt in 1640
• The Red Tower is where the main gate to the fortress is located. Behind it there was previously a gate church built in 1513 in honor of St. Sergius of Radonezh. Later it was rebuilt into a church, topped with five domes in honor of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist.

Creation of the Assumption Cathedral and other churches

Assumption Cathedral

In 1559-1585, a new five-domed cathedral was erected in the center of the monastery, in the east of Cathedral Square. Ivan the Terrible and his family were present at its laying. The temple was built similar to the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, but was inferior in size. At the same time, the built cathedral was larger than other monastery churches.

Like the cathedrals of Vladimir and Moscow, it was named Assumption. In 1684, the walls, vault and pillars of the temple were decorated with frescoes on biblical themes. In the northwestern part of the cathedral there is the tomb of the family of Tsar Boris Godunov, over which in 1780 a tent tent was erected, which has not survived to this day.

The temple took a long time to build - about 25 years, there were not enough funds and, basically, it was built with royal donations. Ivan the Terrible gave generous contributions for the memorial of the soul of his murdered son. But the consecration of the Assumption Cathedral took place in 1585, after the death of Ivan IV, under his third son, Tsar Feodor Ivanovich.

• Opposite the Assumption Cathedral, on the western side of Cathedral Square, is the Treasury building of fraternal cells. Adjacent to it:
  • from the north - Hospital wards with the tented church of St. Zosima and Savvaty of Solovetsky, erected in 1635-1638
  • from the south there is a three-story Staircase Tower.
• Behind the Temple of Zosima and Savvaty are the Fortress and Cellar Chambers, built at the turn of the 16th-17th centuries.
• In 1686-1692, a magnificent refectory with a temple of St. Sergius of Radonezh, decorated in the “Naryshkin” baroque style, was erected.
• In the same style, in 1692-1699, on the site of the gate church in honor of Sergius of Radonezh at the main entrance to the monastery, a five-domed gate church was erected in honor of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. Considerable funds for its construction were donated by the merchant Grigory Stroganov
• In the same style, the Royal Palaces were built in the northern part to house the royal family.
• The over-kladeznaya chapel was built in late XVII centuries over the source of healing water that opened here next to the Assumption Cathedral
• A small church in the name of Micah of Radonezh, a disciple of St. Sergius, a witness to the teacher’s vision of the Mother of God with two Apostles. The church was built over the tomb of Micah of Radonezh in 1734
• Opposite the hospital wards, the Church of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God was built in the Elizabethan Baroque style.
• The Metropolitan's chambers, now the Patriarch's chambers, are the residence of the rector of the monastery, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', during his stay at the monastery. The building is located in the southwestern part of the monastery and dates back to the 16th–17th centuries
• A few kilometers from the monastery you can see a magnificent five-tier bell tower; this is one of the best monuments of Russian architecture of the 18th century.

Trinity-Sergius Lavra in the Time of Troubles

At the beginning of the 17th century, False Dmitry II sent his loyal governors Peter Sapega and Alexander Lisovsky with Polish and Lithuanian invaders against Russian cities. Pereyaslavl-Zalessky and Rostov the Great, Yaroslavl and Suzdal, Vladimir and Nizhny Novgorod were devastated. Trouble also threatened the Sergius Monastery.

In September 1608, Polish-Lithuanian troops approached the monastery. The fortress held a siege for 16 months. By the end of 1609, due to harsh conditions and lack of food, more than 2,000 defenders of the fortress died of scurvy. The survivors steadfastly defended the fortress and on January 12, 1610, the siege was lifted with the help of arriving Russian troops led by Mikhail Skopin-Shuisky.

After the siege was lifted, the destroyed fortress walls were restored and a permanent garrison of archers and gunners was stationed on the territory of the monastery.

In 1618, the Polish prince Vladislav, using the support of the Polish Sejm, tried to take the Moscow throne. Having organized a campaign against Moscow, he approached the Trinity-Sergius Monastery and tried to take it. But the fortress survived this time too.

Trinity-Sergius Lavra during the reign of Peter the Great

At the end of the 17th - beginning of the 18th century, during the time of Peter the Great, the Trinity-Sergius Lavra again came to the fore in connection with the political events of that era.

In 1682, during the Streletsky riot, Princess Sophia and princes Ivan and Peter took refuge behind the walls of the fortress. And seven years later, in 1689, Peter hid here, having fled from Moscow. It was in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra that the massacre of Sophia’s supporters took place and from here Peter left for Moscow as an autocratic ruler.

At the beginning of the 18th century, the construction of stone buildings was prohibited and the construction of monastic buildings was suspended. Soon Russia will enter Northern War and for military needs, Peter the Great takes 400 thousand rubles from the monastery treasury.

In connection with the threat of the Swedish king's campaign against Russia, the fortress was strengthened: additional bastions were built on the corner towers, since modern guns for that time could not be placed on the previously built walls and towers.

Opening of a theological seminary

In the 18th century, the Trinity-Sergius Monastery was rich and had large land holdings. The high authority of the monastery is evidenced by the fact that in 1742 a Theological Seminary was opened on its territory, and later the Moscow Theological Academy was located here. In 1744, by decree of Elizabeth, the monastery was given the honorary name of Lavra.

In May 1920, the last service took place and soon a historical and archaeological museum was organized in the monastery premises. All the brethren were evicted and began to live in labor communes. Nine years later, most of the monastery bells were removed and melted down; only the “Swan” bell of 1593 and the “Nikonovsky” bell of 1420 survived.

Monastic life returned to the monastery in post-war years. The first liturgy took place on the night of Easter, April 21, 1946.

Until 1983, the monastery was the residence of the Russian patriarchs; later it was moved to the Moscow Danilov Monastery.

The Trinity-Sergius Lavra is one of the most revered monasteries among the Russian people. Thousands of believers and pilgrims rush to venerate its shrines, and numerous tourists admire the historical and architectural monuments created by the best masters of the 15th - 19th centuries. Since 1993, the Trinity-Sergius Lavra has been under the protection of UNESCO.