Sergiev Posad (ex-Zagorsk) was named after Saint Sergey who was born in Radonezh (a city situated next to Zagorsk) and was known as Sergey Radonezhsky. He founded a monastery there in 14th century that became then one of the greatest and biggest monasteries in Russia. Nowadays the monastery carries the name of Lavra that translating from Greece means "main and most important monastery". There are four lavras in Russia, but the Trinity Lavra of St.Sergey (full name) is considered to be "Russian Vatican" and besides our patriarch's temporary residence is situated there.

Visitors enter the monastery through the main Red Gates also named Saint Gate, and at once their attention is attracted by frescos that represent the different scenes of St.Sergey's life concerning the period before the monastery exists, building the monastery and historical events of state importance.

In the territory of the monastery usually three cathedrals are visited. They are St.Trinity Cathedral, Assumption Cathedral and Refectory.

As a rule, the excursion begins with the St.Trinity Cathedral that is the oldest one - it was built in 1422-1423 over the tomb of St.Sergey. Inside the cathedral there are sanctities of the Russian land: the shrine with St.Sergey's relics and icons painted by famous Andrey Rublyov.

In the center of the Lavra you can see the Assumption Cathedral built in 1559-1585. This one repeats by its forms the Assumption Cathedral of Moscow Kremlin. Inside there is an iconostasis of 17th century made of curved wood and painted by 35 artists (their names are listed on the western wall of the cathedral) and also there are tombs where the "ancients" and priors of the monastery were buried. As the name of the cathedral is Assumption, besides the entombment situated inside there is another sepulchre outside the cathedral - that of the Boris Godunov family.

The most beautiful part of the monastery is represented by the two similar constructions one of which is the Ecclesiastical Academy and Seminary and the other - the Refectory with the Church of St.Sergey that is visited inside.

Besides, there are some other interesting objects to see in the monastery such as the royal temporary residence, monastery hospital which is one of the first constructed in Russia, and the monkery cells.