"Once Upon a Time" Peasantry Museum

One of the most cultural but poorly promoted places in Sergiev Posad is the "Once Upon a Time" Peasantry Museum in a backsteet 5 min from the Lavra. Here in a carved wooden house lives artist and collectioner Victor Bagrov. In his private museum you will see various artefacts of old Russian peasantry from medieval foundings to 19th-century copies and feel true Russian spirit.

Periodically Victor exhibits theme handicraft - Slav symbols, old Russian armor... At the entrance you'll encounter birch bark pottery and embroidery. The midroom presents traditional dolls, metalwork and of course pieces of woodwork. Most curious tourists/historians may be let into the secret room with extra handicrafts. Some might want to support this enthusiast's collection by buying unique souvenirs.

I can easily bring you to this amateur museum and introduce Victor who will guide you through his exhibit history.

Gethsemane Chernigovsky Skete

The (Gethsemane) Chernigovsky Skete (1843-7) is the Lavra's eastern hermitage 3km. A famous Moscow holy fool Philippushka who had been drifting in European Russia for 10 years as a pariah came to the Lavra and moved to the place to dig an underground reclusory like that of the Kiev-Pechyory Lavra. The caves were dug till 1851 when they included a cave temple as a wooden dugout and underpasses with monastic cells. The central cave was for prayer to become the Archangel Michael Cave Temple.

In 1852 the cave temple was donated the Chernigov Icon of Godmother. By legend, in 1869 it healed a paralized peasant woman and later showed over 100 miracles and healings. The Skete's elder was Rev. Barnabas visited in 1905 by Tsar Nicolas II for advice and blessing. Barnabas used to console people even though predicting Bolshevic terror and Orthodox revival.

The architectural ensemble center is the 5-dome Chernigovky Cathedral (1886-97) with the cave church underneath. Its 5-tier belfry rises amid the neighborhood almost equally with the Lavra's one.

Smolenskaya Church

On the outside wall of the monastery stone kitchen, constructed in the 15th century by the eminent Russian architect V.D. Yermolin, there was an icon, "Our Lady of Smolensk", carved in stone. When in 1730 a monk whose arms had been twisted by rheumatism was ardently praying in front of it, a miracle took place — he was cured. In honour of this miraculous healing the Smolenskaya Church was erected on the kitchen site by Empress Elizabeth's order in 1746–8. The construction was sponsored by Duke Razumovsky. The richly decorated miracle-working icon stood in the gilded carved iconostasis right of the Royal Gate.

In 1920–30 the iconostasis was lost. Instead an iconostasis from a destroyed Moscow church was installed here in 1956. The iconostasis was designed by architect Uhtomsky. It's contemporary to the church and of the same style.

The Smolenskaya Church has no columns inside and all its inner space is open up to the dome. Murals were painted here in the 19th century. At present the miracle-working icon "Our Lady of Smolensk" is at the local museum. A plaster copy of it (bigger in size) is in the altar recess outside the church. The grave of Nicholas, a Petersburg Metropolitan, is in the church crypt.

Tsar Chambers

The Tsar Chambers were erected in the late 17th c. By its outside appearance the edifice matches the Refectory Church. It was used by pilgrims from the royal family. In the 18th c. the Chambers vaults were decorated with fine stucco and carvings.  

The Church Archaeological Museum and the Holy Virgin Intercession Church are situated inside the Chambers. The wall paintings were created in 1987–8 by the iconographers of the local Icon Painting School. 

The church above the gateway, dedicated to the St. John the Baptist's Nativity, was built in 1693–9. At present confessions for pilgrims and exorcism are performed in it every morning.

Holy Spirit Church

In 1476 on the site of the wooden Trinity Church (1412) by St. Nikon, master builders from Pskov invited for the construction work in the Moscow Kremlin erected a new 1-domed church, dedicated to the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. Under the dome the builders placed an open belfry. In 1608–10 during the Polish siege this church was used as a watchtower. 

The Holy Spirit Church and the Trinity Cathedral form an ensemble. The frescoes in the Holy Spirit Church were executed in 1655, but in the middle of the 19th century they were replaced by oil paintings. The iconostasis was carved of rosewood by Lavra woodcarvers in 1866. In the church there are 2 temples with the holy relics of St. Maximus the Greek († 1556) and St. Anthony of Radonezh († 1877). St. Maximus the Greek was one of the most erudite men of his period who wrote many theological and polemic works. He died in the monastery and was buried here. In 1988 he was canonised. Since 1770 Moscow metropolitans were abbots of the monastery. St. Anthony was the monastery vicar in 1831–77 and canonised in 1996.

Sergievsky Posad

In 1782 the adjacent suburbs and villages were united into a posad (settlement) with the name Sergievsky. The major capital constructor here was the Lavra erecting hotels, hospices, stores and lodgings around the monsatery. They served inflowing pilgrims especially after a convenient highway (1845) and railroad (1865) with Moscow were set up.

The town economy also served the monastery. Great pilgrim demand for devotional articles drove the manufacuring of crosses, candlesticks, icons and so on.