Sergiyev Posad

Town in the Moscow oblast (region) of the Russian Federation, 70 km/43 mi northeast of Moscow; population (1996 est) 113,000. Its focal point is the Trinity Monastery of St Sergius (founded in 1337), an important place of pilgrimage and former administrative centre of the Russian Orthodox Church. The town is home to the Moscow Theological Academy. Aside from its religious significance, Sergiev Posad has been a centre of woodcarving and toymaking since the 15th century. Paint, optical instruments, building materials, textiles, and furniture are also produced here.

The Trinity Monastery was closed after the 1917 Revolution, but reopened as a museum and the residence of the Patriarch of Moscow after World War II (the patriarchy was transferred to Danilov Monastery in Moscow in 1988). The Cathedral of the Assumption (Uspensky Sobor) in the grounds of the monastery is the site of the grave of the 16th- century Tsar Boris Godunov.