The Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra

By the end of the 17th century the number of the monks considerably grew and the old Refectory couldn’t satisfy the needs of the monastery. Instead of it, a new Refectory with the church dedicated to St. Sergius was erected by order of Peter I in 1686–1692. The church was consecrated by Patriarch Adrian, the last prerevolutionary Patriarch of Russia, in memory of the 300th anniversary since St. Sergius’ death.

The building of Moscow baroque style is 85 m long. Open galleries run along its perimeter, with long flights of steps leading up to these galleries. The church building catches the eye with the four-colour design of its façade, creating the illusion of faceted relief-work, as well as with the richness of its elaborate colourful stucco and carvings. They make a perfect match for the architecture of the Refectory. Although it is rather spacious (510 m²), its vaults don’t need any intermediate support. The walls of the Refectory were painted and renovated several times. For the last time the church was painted in 1911.

The veneration of the Mother of God was central in the life of St. Sergius. Every night he sang hymns in honour of the Holy Virgin, and at the end of his life, he and his disciple St. Mica had a privilege of Her visit. She came to his cell with the apostles Peter and John by her side. The Holy Virgin promised to protect the monastery and to watch over it. In memory of this appearance a small church, which looks like a gem, was constructed in 1734. People connect it with the name of St. Mica, as the church stands above his grave. On the commemoration day of St. Mica, May 6/19, a Liturgy is celebrated here.