Sergiev Posad is ancient town (former Zagorsk, the name means "beyond the hills"). The Yaroslavl highway, winding through forest covered hills, leads to Sergiev Posad. On the way it cuts through villages and transgresses tranquil streams and rivers. After the last ridge, before the town, the golden cupola of the monastery's belfry becomes visible. The Troitse-Sergiev Monastery is Russia's best architectural ensemble, consisting of monuments that were constructed in the span of five centuries. The other sites include the State Museum and the historic fort.

The monastery was founded by Varfolomeus, in lay life Sergei Radonezhsky. He was a major political leader from among the clergy, very active in deterring the Tatar-Mongolian onslaught. The Troitse (Trinity) Monastery became a monastery of the first order in the 18th century. It was here that in 1380, Prince Dmitry Donskoi gathered the all-Russian volunteer army. Two Troitse monks - Peresvet and Osliaba - formerly experienced warriors, took part in the famed battle on the Kulikov field. And with their valor inspired the other warriors in achieving victory over the Mamayew forces.

In the subsequent centuries the Troitse Monastery became a major cultural center and a mighty fort on the trade route leading to the "Cold" (White) Sea. In the 16th century Tzar Ivan the Terrible surrounded the monastery with a stone wall that housed artillery, very powerful for that time. In the 17th century, during the Polish-Lithuanian intervention Pan Sapega's mighty forces spent 16 months in an unsuccessful attempt to capture the Troitse Monastery Fortress.

Some decades later the half-demolished fortifications were reconstructed. The walls were raised, but the former gun-ports and the jagged edges can still be seen. Some towers were totally relayed. On inspecting the fort, from left to right, the first tower is the Krasnaya (Red) tower. The next one is the corner Piatnitskaya Tower, constructed in 1640, and one of the best examples of 17th century military architecture. It has five tiers. They used to house cannons - small ones on the top tiers and larger ones on the bottom.

Bellow the tower there are two small churches - the Vvedensky and the Paraskevy Friday churches. They were built by Tzar Ivan the Terrible in 1547. Near-by is a well built on the fringe of the 17th and 18th centuries and covered by an attractive chapel.

The fort's southern wall has two towers - the Lukovaya and Vodyanaya (Water). On top of the former a glassed-in summer house was constructed in the 18th century. The latter has retained its 17th century style, only its cupola has been reconstructed at a later date. Near it are the Vodyanye (Water) gates, that lead to the river. On the western wall stands the mighty Pivnaya Tower. It was reconstructed many times. And on the northeastern corner is the severe 17th century Plotnichia tower. On the northern wall stands the attractive 18th century Kalichia gate-tower. But the most attractive is the Utychia tower, whose top is decorated in the intricate Naryshkin style that predominated in the later 17th century. The inspection of the wall ends with the modest Sushylnaya tower and the Assumption gates. The Holy Gates, that used to open only for the Tzar's family, the Patriarch and the Metropolitans, open into a small fort court-yard with the small St. John Predtechi (Predecessor) church, built in 1699, and the archway - the entrance to the monastery.

The Monastery's most valuable building is the Trinity Cathedral. This first memorial building in Russia was constructed in 1422, to commemorate the centenary of the monastery's founder Sergei Radonezhsky.

The cathedral is constructed of cut blocks of white stone and sparsely decorated with a carved stone belt. Its roof and cupolas are gold plated. Inside is the tomb of Sergei Radonezhsky framed in silver and the priceless iconostasis, the work of Russia's greatest Medieval painter Andrei Rublev and his pupils. The iconostasis has 42 icons, situated on three tiers. The cathedral is adjoined to the Nikonovsky church, the so-called Serapionov hall and the covered parvis - all dating to the 16th century.

The next most ancient monument is the Whit Monday church. It is built of brick with white stone details. On top is a belfry. The biggest and formally the most important structure is the Assumption Cathedral. Its construction was begun under Tzar Ivan the Terrible and it was completed in the reign of his son Fyodor. It is a simple, majestic building crowned by five cupolas. Inside there is a carved gold-plated iconostasis, end of the 17th century, with icons by the last of three great painters of Ancient Russia - Simon Ushakov (the second was Dionisius).. The cast copper chandelier and the beautiful frescos date to 1684. By the western facade stands the colorful Nadkladeznaya (above the well) chapel, which looks like a painted carved wooden toy, and the simple low Godunov tomb.

The ceremonial Refectory Hall with the Sergievsk church is richly decorated with stone carvings and painted walls. Inside is a large hall with wide arches (for the 17th century it was an engineering feat). In the church, which is separated from the hall by gold plated gates, there is a very good carved iconostasis. The walls were painted in the late 19th century. In the northern part of the monastery stands the Tzar's palace. This was a resting place for the passing Moscow Tzar's and their numerous retinue. The building has retained its white stone and ceramic decorations, and inside the wonderful tiled 17-18th century stoves and decorated ceiling dating to the mid. 18th century.

The red and white Bolnichnye (Infirmary) hall with its Zosim and Savvati marquee church is an attractive corner of the monastery. Before the hall lie the cannons that used to stand on the wall.

The 18th century monuments include the small octagonal Mykheev church, the small, graceful Smolensk church and the Metropolitan Palace dating from the 16th to the 18th centuries.

In the center of the monastery is the belfry. Its construction was begun by I. Michurin and it was completed. by the addition of two tiers, by D. Ukhtomsky. The belfry is the center of the ensemble combining ancient and later buildings. It is just as an important landmark for Sergiev Posad, as the Kremlin is for Moscow, or the Admiralty spire for Saint Petersburg.

Many of the old buildings house the museum's collection. In the former Vestry is the collection of small plaster items, valuable dishes, rich vestments, manuscripts, ancient embroidery and 14th-15th century icons, including two that belonged to Sergei Radonezhsky. His portrait, embroidered on the funeral shawl, has been preserved. Some of the exhibits are priceless like the Miter, dating to 1626, with a multitude of pearls, precious stones and gold objects. Just as valuable is the church-throne rug embroidered in the craft shops of the Godunov family in 1601. In the former apartments of the monastery's father superior, with its palace-type hall, is the exhibit of 18th century Russian art. Here are the canvases of the first Russian painters to give up tempera in favor of oils. There is also jewelry and church vestments with sewn-on pearls (there are up to 4 kg. of pearls on some).

The exhibit of folk crafts demonstrates the taste and the feel of beauty of the Russian craftsmen. Here there are many wooden objects - dishes, carved decorations for houses, spinning-wheels and distaffs, and bird houses. Folk costumes and head-dress bear traits of the people's heathen past. The embroidered linen runners, the wrought oil lamps and the carved toys from the Bogorodsk village have been known three centuries ago. The exhibit also includes the naive painted clay toys from the Dymkovo village, contemporary china from Gzhelsk, shawls with ancient designs from Pavlovo-Posad, and many more.

The painted black lacquered boxes from Fedoskino in the Moscow region, and the famed Palekh shops are on display. The Fedoskino craftsmen have used the material of the Palekh craftsmen, but have specialized in reproducing famous paintings on their boxes. And the Palekh artists have preserved the age-old traditions of Ancient Russian painters. A good example is the "Troika" done by Ivan Vakurov, one of the best Palekh painters of the older generation. The very minuteness of the painting, the many layers of the bright, transparent paint add a quality of their own.

The Troitse-Sergiev Monastery, created by the genius of the Russian people, is a fairytale come true.