Main entrance and Church of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist at the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius in Sergiev Posad, Russia
The Trinity Lavra or Monastery of St. Sergius is the most important Russian monastery and the spiritual center of the Russian Orthodox Church. The monastery is situated in the town of Sergiev Posad, about 70 km to the north-east from Moscow by the road leading to Yaroslavl, and currently is home to over 300 monks. In 1993, the Trinity Lavra was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Red Tower (main entrance) was built in 17th century and reconstructed in 1856. To stress the significance of the Krasnaya Tower constructed over the main gate it was covered with white stone. The Tower was considerably reconstructed in the 19th century and subsequently lost its defensive character. A figured portal and superstructure were added. The five-domed Church of John the Baptist's Nativity (1693–1699) behind the main entrance gate was commissioned by the Stroganovs and built over one of the gates. Other 17th-century structures include the monks' cells, a hospital topped with a tented church, and a chapel built over a holy well discovered in 1644. It took 26 years to construct the six-pillared Assumption Cathedral (with blue domes), which was commissioned by Ivan the Terrible in 1559. The cathedral is much larger than its model and namesake in the Moscow Kremlin. The magnificent icons of the 16th–18th centuries features Simon Ushakov's masterpiece, the icon of Last Supper. Interior walls were painted with violet and blue frescoes by a team of Yaroslavl masters in 1684. The vault contains burials of Boris Godunov, his family and several 20th-century patriarchs.
Size: 5616px × 3744px
Location: Trinity Monastery of Saint Sergius, Sergiev Posad, Moscow Oblast, Russia, Eastern Europe
Photo credit: © DE ROCKER / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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