Memory of Russia: Exhibition “Monastery of St. Sergius” to the 700th anniversary of Sergius of Radonezh in Moscow

May 13, 2014 at the State Historical Museum (Moscow) opens the exhibition "Monastery of St. Sergius" dedicated to "the greatest of the saints of ancient Rus'" - the ascetic saint Sergius of Radonezh and monastery founded by him, which allows for the first time such large scaly show an outstanding contribution to the history of St. Sergius and Russian culture and the Russian Orthodox Church. The exhibition presents Sergius of Radonezh and as a saint, and as a real historical figure, whose name is inextricably linked with the liberation of Russia from the Tartar yoke. History of Radonezh abbot and his monastery is shown in the context of all-Russian history of the XIV-XX centuries.

The central place in the section of the exposition "St. Sergius and his epoch. Honor and glorification" take genuine relics of the time of St. Sergius - the legendary "Missal by Sergius of Radonezh", "Missal" and "Gospel" of Saint Nikon of Radonezh, the famous face manuscript "Life of St. Sergius" of the end of the XVI century, as well as icons, documents and pictorial needlework of the XIV -XV centuries. For the first time will be exhibited all 10 fragments of unique embroidered marching iconostasis of the XV century. The exhibition tells the disciples of St. Sergius, the famous Trinity elders and exhibition "Holy Trinity Monastery - the economic center of the Middle Ages. Monastic tradition. Book Culture in the XVI century" shows the highest level of development, which the monastery has reached in the era of centralized state.

Sergius of Radonezh was a saint patron of Grand Moscow, and then the tsar’s house, as evidenced by the monuments of official chronicles and numerous charters. The exhibition includes such rarities as the Illuminated Chronicle and The Bible of Gennady 1499.

Among rare engravings and prints of the XVIII century the central place takes genuine decree of Empress Elizabeth of the Holy Synod Archimandrite Arseny (Mogilyansky) naming the Trinity-Sergius Lavra monastery on June 22, 1744, authentic Charter to the Empress Elizabeth of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra on ancestral lands in different counties. The exhibition will show for the first time a unique set of 10 icons of the late XVIII century with scenes life of St. Sergius and Portrait Gallery of Moscow metropolitans – saint archimandrites of Lavra. Of great interest are the albums devoted to the anniversary celebrations in 1892, when it was widely celebrated the 500th anniversary of the repose of St. Sergius, and unique documents from the collections of the Historical Museum, relating to a tragic decade (1919-1929) in the history of the monastery. Visitors of the exhibition will see the original manuscripts and printed books, icons, splints, engravings, portraits, documents, monuments, arts and crafts, pilgrim souvenirs from various materials.

The exposition (about 400 items) consists of items from the collections of the Museum of History. Valuable exhibits for the exhibition were also provided by the Moscow Kremlin Museums, the State Tretyakov Gallery, the Museum-Reserve "Kolomenskoye", the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum, the Museum "Alexandrova Sloboda", and the Russian State Library, Archives of Ancient Documents, Archdiocese of Russian Orthodox Old Believers' Church and private collections.

For visitors the exhibition will be open from May 14 to October 13, 2014.