by Vladislav DARKEVICH, Dr. Sc. (Hist.), RAS Institute of Archaeology The Holy Trinity Monastery (Lavra) of St. Sergiy has always been and remains one of the most venerated Christian shrines of Russia. A fount of lofty spirituality, it was destined to set an inspiring example of the victorious struggle of this nation against foreign invaders. Over the centuries the cloister has been illuminated by the name and personality of its founder-one of the most venerated saints of this land. In the words of the writer Boris Zaitsev (1881 -1972) "his whole life, and that of his Lavra, is inseparably linked with the historical destiny of Russia. He shared in all the joys and sufferings of this land. Having no formal authority, even ecclesiastical one, he has been always supporting this nation, and the Russian state, by his word, personality and prayer". Nearly a century after the Mongol invasion (1247) Russia began regaining its peaceful course of life. The dire plight of Russian cities and towns exposed to frequent inroads by the nomads, and of the monasteries located within them forced many Christian ascetics, as different from the earlier times, to seek blessed refuge in the silent solitude of virgin forests in the country's north. The central figure and proponent of this new period of monastic community life was St. Sergiy of Radonezh who elevated Russian spirituality to a new height. One of the signs of the time, historians tell us, was a revival of links and contacts with Byzantine with its Paleologue Revival which manifested itself not only in philosophy and poetry, but also in the fine arts. This precious legacy, accepted in its own way by this nation and by St. Sergiy as one of the key figures of that time, paved the way for a surge of creativity which can be regarded as a second stage of Old Russian civilization. St. Sergiy (Seigius) of Radonezh (secular name Bartholomei) was not a commoner by birth-his parents owned some land not far from Rostov the Great where ... Читать далее