Excursion routes of the Sergiev-Posad Museum-Preserve

This is an tour of the interiors of the most significant monuments: the Assumption Cathedral and the Refectory. It offers a rare opportunity to see a magnificent decoration of an Orthodox church and to find out the meaning of the interior in the past.

It is an excursion presenting different kinds of Russian Art of the 14th – 19th century. One can see works created by the craftsmen commissioned by the tsars, noblemen and the Monastery authorities. The specimens of Old Russian embroidery produced in the royal workshops, luxurious church vestments, gold and silver church utensils, decorated with pearls and precious stones, are fascinating.

 Currently, the Sacristy is closed for restoration.

The excursion presents the unique architectural complex formed in the course of five centuries. You can travel through the centuries, imagine the Monastery at the time of Venerable Sergius, see the changes in the Monastery arrangement at the time of Ivan the Terrible, “feel” the hardship of the 16 month long siege together with the defenders of the fortress, admire the majestic view of the Monastery revealed by the leading restorers of our country.

The guide will describe life, occupations and beliefs of the ancient inhabitants of this land from the 7th millennium B.C. till the beginning of the 2-d millennium A.D. according to the discoveries of archeologists.

A sightseeing tour of the museum's historical expositions introduces the ancient past of the Sergiev Posad region, the history of the origin and development of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery and the events connected with it.

St. Sergius of Radonezh is one of the most revered Russian saints. His name is associated with the spiritual revival of Russian people. The excursion at the exhibition “St. Sergius of Radonezh – an Assistant to the Whole State and to Russian Emperors” demonstrates the role of St. Sergius and the role of  the Trinity Monastery, that he founded, in Russian history and culture, shows people’s  veneration of the Saint in the course of many  centuries, describes the attitude of Russian tsars to the “abode of St. Sergius”.

Visitors will be invited to an imaginary tour from Moscow to the Sergiyevo station by train, then to a promenade  to the Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra in the center of the town; they will catch a glimpse of a house with carved window frames; call on the famous Trinity pan-cake houses, Platonov’s photo studio and a boutique. The excursion illustrates old Sergiev Posad, everyday life and occupations of its inhabitants, creates the atmosphere of a small town at the turn of the 20^th  century.

The excursion is dedicated to history of the famous Monastery, historical events and persons, heroic defense of the fortress during the siege of 1608 – 1610, formation and development of the Monastery architectural ensemble

The Trinity-St. Sergius Monastery was a major book center in Old Russia. The chronicles, books and original literary works were written and illuminated here. There were binding workshops in the Monastery. Ancient documents and old printed books were preserved and unique documentary archive was formed. The excursion acquaints visitors with the development of the written language in our country and reveals unknown pages of the Monastery history.

The excursion presents objects of everyday life that accompanied peasants from their birth till the end of their lives; demonstrates their decoration, ritual significance, their connection with folk ideas of the surrounding world, with traditional feasts and rituals.

The visitors find out how an old wedding was played, how a bride was chosen and proposed to, how dowry was prepared, what rituals were observed, how guests were treated. The visitors can listen to ancient songs, guess riddles. They have a chance to play a role of a bride and a bridegroom and to take part in games and dances in a ring.

The excursion is organized in the department “Russian Applied and Decorative Art of the 18th – 21st Century”. The visitors can see remarkable specimens of the leading Russian handicraft centers: “golden” Khokhloma wood- painting, shawls with printed bouquets from Pavlov Posad, miniature lacquer painting of Mstera, Kholui, Palekh and Fedoskino, Zhostovo trays, wooden toys and multi-figured compositions from Bogorodskoye.

Matryoshka embodied the features of the national consciousness, the people's ideas about the beauty and harmony of the world. It is no coincidence that this toy eventually became a memorable sign, a symbol of Russia. The excursion introduces the history of the appearance of Russian nesting dolls and the stages of its development, tells about the characteristic ornamental and decorative features of dolls-nesting dolls of traditional centers (Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Vyatka regions); a modern "author's" matryoshka.

It is an excursion at the temporary exhibitions of fine and decorative art presenting the Museum collections and works of artists from Sergiev Posad, Moscow and the Moscow Region. There are also traditional Spring and Autumn Salons. Opinions differ. More artists more points of view. To see the world with the eyes of an artist is always interesting and informative. The temporary exhibitions are always accompanied by excursions for children and adults, meetings with artists and special programs.

Visitors will be invited to an imaginary tour from Moscow to the Sergiyevo station by train, then to a promenade to the Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra in the center of the town; they will catch a glimpse of a house with carved window frames; call on the famous Trinity pan-cake houses, Platonov’s photo studio and a boutique. The excursion illustrates old Sergiev Posad, everyday life and occupations of its inhabitants, creates the atmosphere of a small town at the turn of the 20th century.  

The exhibition shows, how the events that happened between the revolution and the war, were  reflected in the life of the small provincial town Sergiev (named Zagorsk in 1930). The exhibition includes the following sections: the establishment of the Soviet power and the formation of the Bolshevik dictatorship, the foundation of  the Sergiev Museum, New Economic Policy in Sergiev, industrialization in the town and its environs, mass repressions in the pre-war time. The exhibition presents original articles, documents, photos, posters of the 1920s- 1930s

The excursion describes the hard years of  our front-line town (Zagorsk).  The severe town with tank proof hedgehogs, pillars and barricades was reproduced in the pictures of N. Barchenkov, People’s Artist of Russia, who witnessed the events. In the town the First Attack Army was formed. It played the decisive role in the battle for Moscow. The enemy was stopped at the end of November, 1941, at the Permilovsky Hills near Dmitrov. It was the first step to the Victory.

The excursion at the exhibition “The Soul Keeps Memories” illustrates the life of the Zagorsk citizens in the mid-20^th century, accentuating the children’s perception of this period. The visitors can follow the children’s growing up from their birth till  entering the adult life, travel in time and feel the atmosphere of the 1950s. 

The excursions presents the exhibition, dedicated to our fellow-citizens, who were at the local wars in Afghanistan and in the Chechen Republic in the 20^th – 21^st centuries. “We” means  all of us: those who  took part in the war and those who waited for their coming back. It implies our attitude towards the local wars and towards the memory. 

This excursion tells visitors about life in Sergiev Posad in the 20th c. That was one of the most interesting periods connected with preservation of historical and cultural monuments, war and labor deed of the citizens during the Great Patriotic war, work of the famous Russian writers and artists.

Cities are like people. According to a Russian saying “each city has its character”. Sergiev Posad was formed of the villages and settlements surrounding the Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra. The Monastery determined the town development, way of life and occupations of its inhabitants. In the 20th century the name of the place was changed several times, but in people’s memory it was always associated with the great Russian devotee – Venerable Sergius of Radonezh. The parish churches, old streets, Blinnaya Mountain, Krasnokorskaya Square, Pafnutiev Garden remind of old Sergiev Posad and preserve its original appearance. 

If transport is provided by visiting groups, a bus city tour is offered.

This is a remote functioning male monastery with cave cells, founded three kilometers from the Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra in the mid-19th century. The Chernigovsky Skete surpassed all monasteries in charge of Lavra in beauty of its monuments. In the mid- 19th century it became Metropolitan Philaret’s favorite place for solitude and prayers. In the main cathedral, consecrated to the Virgin of Chernigov, the relics of the local saint - Venerable Varnava (Merkulov) – a famous elder, people’s confessor of the late 19th – early 20th century – are preserved. At the small Monastery cemetery near the Cathedral Russian philosophers Konstantin Leontiev and Vasily Rozanov were buried.

Excursion is carried out on the customer's transport.

Radonezh was an ancient Slav settlement. In the 14th century it was a center of the volost’ and subsequently a capital of the independent appanage principality. There lived young Varfolomei (future Venerable Sergius of Radonezh). The village Church of Transfiguration was built in Empire style in the first half of the 19th century. In 1986, Radonezh was declared a reserve. In 1988, there was unveiled a monument to Venerable Sergius. The Intercession Monastery in Khotkovo – one of the earliest monasteries in the Moscow Region - was founded near Radonezh. Boyar Kirill and his wife Maria, parents of Venerable Sergius of Radonezh – were buried there. In 2008, the Monastery marked its 700th anniversary. At present it is a functioning stauropegion nunnery ( under the authority of Holy Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia).
Excursion is carried out on the customer's transport.