Sergiev Posad

Moscow is surrounded by so-called Golden Ring, a chain of old Russian towns with magnificent architecture and ancient history. Sergiev Posad is the closest one to Moscow. It makes the town the best “out-of-Moscow” destination for a comfortable 1-day trip.

Sergiev Posad is a small cozy town with a population of over 100,000 which is situated 75 km to the northeast from Moscow. It is known worldwide as a home of the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, one of the largest and most beautiful Russian monasteries, an Orthodox town in a town and a UNESCO World Heritage object. The word “Lavra” indicates the highest status of an Orthodox monastery. Usually, its size is equivalent to a small ancient town with streets. In general, lavra means «street» in the Greek language. There are only four lavras in all Russia.

The monastery was founded by Sergius of Radonezh, a 14th century monk from Rostov. His ascetic and pious existence attracted numerous followers. The small hermit’s retreat gradually grew into a monastery with a settlement around it. In 1782 the settlement got a status of a town and was named “Sergiev Posad”, that literally means “Village of Sergius”.
During the Soviet era authorities attempted to suppress public religious expression. As town’s name alluded to St. Serius and had strong religious connotations it was changed to Zagorsk. The original name “Sergiev Posad” came back into official use in 1991 after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Sergiev Posad is believed to be the birthplace of the Russian doll Matryoshka. The town has its own doll factory and what is more, it is considered to be the best place to buy authentic Russian matryoshka.