Sergiev Posad tour

Tour snapshot:

Duration

8 hours

Pick up & drop off

At your chosen destination

A

Transportation

By private car

No hidden cost

Admission tickets included

Private guide

Professional & licensed

Lunch

Optional

Activity level

Moderate

“The capital of Orthodoxy” would be the first associations with the city of Sergiev Posad, the only city in the surroundings of Moscow that is included into the Golden Ring of Russia. And this is quite obvious, because the Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra, the main spiritual shrine of the Russian Orthodox Church and a true gem of Russian art, is situated here. The beauty and harmony of the monastic ensemble with the whole constellation of architectural masterpieces makes a great impression. These include the Trinity Cathedral, built in the style of the early Moscow architecture and for which masters of the school of Andrei Rublev wrote 42 icons, the Assumption Cathedral which is located in the center of the monastery and whose shape and size repeats the assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, and the Lavra Bell Tower in the Baroque style with a unique set of bells that were completely restored in our days.

While visiting Lavra, you will hear a story about how a small monastery hidden in the dense Radonezh forest turned into the Trinity-Sergius Monastery and became the largest center of Orthodoxy, known throughout the world. You will visit the operating temples in which you will hear hymns of the famous choir of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Outside the monastery gate, you will be met by merchants that offer all sorts of traditional souvenirs: handicrafts, carved wooden toys and of course the famous matryoshkas since Sergiev Posad was the birthplace of this most famous Russian souvenir.

The unique nature, magnificent cathedrals and authentic souvenirs are all presented in Sergiev Posad in abundance. Located close to the Russian capital, it attracts many tourists and is never empty and deserted. You will undoubtedly be willing to walk its streets till the late evening, saving in mind all of the city’s sceneries.

Available: daily

Sergiev Posad tour

  • For a groups of 9+, please contact us for a special quotation.
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Tour Overview:

Territory of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra

A visit the Trinity-Sergius Lavra can be not only informative, but also fun adventure. Once inside the monastery, you can take a journey back in time and observe the history of the formation of Russian stone architecture from the 15th to the 18th centuries. In addition to the most famous attractions – the Trinity Cathedral, the Assumption Cathedral and the Bell Tower, there are more than 50 various buildings on the territory of the Lavra that were constructed with different purposes: the Smolensk Church decorated in the Baroque style, the tomb of Boris Godunov, the Tsar’s Palace, built especially for the second Russian tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, and many other architectural masterpieces. And of course, for nearly seven hundred years of existence, the Trinity monastery has collected many wonderful stories and legends that our professional guide will deliver to you in the most captivating and fascinating way.

The Assumption Cathedral
While still at the gate of the monastery, you will by any means see the magnificent Assumption Cathedral which is the largest architectural construction of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Its five domes, four of which are blue with golden stars and one of which is golden-colored, are towering over the surrounding churches, buildings, towers and walls. The silhouette of the cathedral that coincides with the silhouette of the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, is the most traditional in Russian Orthodox architecture.

In the interior of the Cathedral your attention will be drawn by a huge wooden-carved gilded iconostasis which organically fits into the scale of the building and its overall interior space. Behind it you will see high up areas for the choristers. During the chanting of the monks, parishioners feel that their voices come “as if from heaven.” And, of course, one cannot ignore the magnificent fresco paintings that cover vaults, walls and pillars of the Assumption Cathedral

The Bell Tower
The second thing you will notice after the Assumption Cathedral will be the Bell Tower of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. This is not only an architectural masterpiece but also a masterpiece of engineering and construction. It is known that initially there was a plan to build three tier bell tower, but during the construction process, it became clear that three tiers won’t be enough and engineering calculations have shown the possibility of increasing the height of the bell tower to five storeys. It resulted in the creation of the harmonious and elegant Bell Tower of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, 88 meters height, which is 7 meters higher than the Ivan the Great Bell Tower in the Moscow Kremlin. The bell tower has completed the formation of a unique architectural ensemble of Lavra and became its high-rise dominant thereby uniting all other structures of the Cathedral square.
The Trinity Cathedral

The Trinity Cathedral is the main cathedral, the first stone building and the oldest surviving construction of the Trinity monastery. The white stone Trinity Cathedral is one of the most important monuments of early-Moscow architecture. It was the Trinity Cathedral that started the formation of a unique architectural ensemble of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

The inner space of the Cathedral has a surprising integrity. Soft diffused light coming from the top ten (instead of traditional eight) narrow windows of the dome, slowly and thoughtfully allows you to contemplate the amazing iconostasis and gorgeous fresco paintings. The cathedral, among other things, is famous for the fact that the Trinity by Andrei Rublev was painted especially for it. Near the southern wall next to the iconostasis you will see the tomb of the founder of the monastery, St. Sergius of Radonezh, which attracts queues of pilgrims from all over Russia.

Sergiev Posad State History and Art Museum *

Sergiev Posad State History and Art Museum houses one of the largest collections of Russian art. The museum was founded in 1920 on the basis of art treasures of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Later the museum was enriched with collections of the local ethnographic museum and the Moscow Museum of folk arts and crafts. Expositions and exhibitions of the museum provide a unique opportunity to get acquainted with monuments of Russian culture from 14th century to our days.

Today the Museum collection comprises more than 110 thousand exhibits that include icons, medieval manuscripts and early printed books, monuments, pictorial and ornamental embroidery, gold and silver objects, works of painting, graphics, folk and contemporary applied and decorative art. Most of them are presented in the expositions, housed in four buildings in the center of the city within walking distance from each other.

*Optional visit

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS
  • Visit Sergiev Pasad – the “Russian Vatican”, the centre of Russian Orthodoxy and the residence of the Patriarch
  • Be amazed by the centuries old architecture and unique masterpieces of religious art  
  • Listen to the breathtaking chanting of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra choristers
  • Learn about the famous matryoshkas origin and buy yourself a couple of genuine ones  
WHAT’S INCLUDED
  • A visit to the main city of the Russian Orthodox Church
  • A friendly professional guide that will help you to immerse into the authentic world of Russian Othodoxy
  • More than 50 striking buildings and unique structures that date back to the 14th cenruty
  • A wonderful day in the small and quite ancient town, surrounded by beautiful nature
WHAT’S NOT
  • Trying on the Russian Patriarch’s dress (because we assume he wont’t be happy with that)
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