Photo Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius and the Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra - is the continuation of a series of photographs, made in Sergiev Posad in early May 2017 of the year.

As I wrote, the weather was not lucky, but on the other hand is not so disastrous. Pictures turned out in my opinion quite good and even have some drama in the clouds and the light streaming through them.

So the Trinity-Sergius Lavra - so accustomed to talking about this big and famous Russian monastery. The official name of the monastery – Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra.

Traditionally considered the founding year of laurels 1337 year, when Bartholomew, taken later after vows to 1342 by the name of St. Sergius, and his brother Stefan founded the Trinity desert.

The monastery grew, built - in 50 years 14 century around the monastery began to settle peasants. At the same time it passed the active construction and development of the monastery hostel.

The monastery was a center of spiritual life of the Moscow principality and a center of resistance. It is here that St. Sergius blessed Dmitry Donskoy in the battle, and the famous and Relight Oslabya, participating in the Battle of Kulikovo, were monks of Holy Trinity Monastery.

Of course the popularity and importance of the monastery has been associated with the personality of its founder, – Sergius of Radonezh, who played a key role in the development of the state and in the development of spirituality in Russia.

Initially, the monastery built a wooden church from the first buildings no longer trace. The first stone church was built in 1423 year - Trinity Cathedral.

The decoration and the painting of the cathedral was Andrei Rublev. Some time Trinity Cathedral was the only stone temple monastery.

The next stone temple, built in the monastery, Church became Dukhovskaya.

Following Assumption Cathedral was built. This temple was built by the order of Ivan the Terrible, who did not wait for its completion. His son Fedor Ioanovich with the family present at its consecration in 1585 year.

Like many monasteries of the time Trinity Monastery was not just a place of monastic obedience. Times were tough and the monastery was repeatedly attacked and devastated. Over time, the monastery was built around the walls, and it turned into serious that time a fortress with high walls and towers.

At the beginning 17 century, in the so-called Time of Troubles, the monastery survived the siege of many months. Killed many shrines of defense not only of weapons, but also from disease.

The value of the monastery was great and appreciated almost all rulers first Grand Duchy of Moscow, and then the Russian state. The monastery grew and prospered. Around him grew a city Sergiev Posad.

AT 1744 , the Holy Trinity Monastery has received the honorary title of Lavra. Before that, the Russian state had only one laurel – Kiev-Pechersk. Once there the Alexander Nevsky Lavra and Pochaev Dormition Lavra.

In the same 1742 year seminary appeared in the monastery, and 1814 here, the Theological Academy was transferred from St. Petersburg, which further strengthened the position of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, as the Russian leading center of Orthodoxy.

after the revolution, like all the temples and monasteries of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra waiting for hard times – Laurus has been closed and in its territory are not only museums, but also various institutions. Renaissance monastery began in 1946 year, when Laura became a place of stay of the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. AT 1948 year at the abbey back Seminary and Academy.

Now the Trinity-Sergius Lavra revered and visited place – Daily boats come thousands of pilgrims and tourists from all over Russia.

At all, I think Sergiev Posad and Trinity-Sergius Lavra must-visit, even if you do not believe in God. After all, this place is not just a monastery, but in the spiritual center of the wider, sense of the term. In fact – it is the center of, what we call Russ.

Photos Trinity-St