Considered to be the most important monastery in Russia and the spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church, the St. Sergius Lavra is often nicknamed the ‘Russian Vatican’. Busloads of Russian pilgrims arrive here every day to visit the relics of its founder the revered 14th Century Saint Sergius of Radonezh, to drink water from the holy spring and to admire the medieval icons and exquisite beauty of the monastery’s many colourful churches and ecclesiastic buildings.
As it is considered to be a particularly holy place visitors are asked to respect the sanctity of the area. Men should wear trousers and remove their hats, while preferable clothing for women is a conservative skirt or dress and a headscarf.
Entrance to the monastery is free. You should only pay if you would like to make a video or take photographs. Entrance to the Sacristy Museum costs extra.