There are corners on the map where you are drawn so strongly, as if you have already been there in the past. One has only to feel this attraction — and here you are, without hesitation, dropping everything and rushing. This has happened to me four times. The first one was almost two decades ago: we barely had time to look around and hit the road again. But every time I left, I knew for sure that I would come back.
The years have passed, and now the monastery is only an hour away. It's freezing out there—the Reverend is waiting for me! And so, having surmounted the path unnoticed, I am back at the walls of the lavra. Everything is the same: domes blazing in the sun, chiming bells, an endless stream of people, concentrated monks... and this inexplicable force that gathers you like a magnet.
Already at the train station, as soon as you see the golden tops of the 88-meter bell tower, your legs accelerate themselves. On the right is a pond with frisky ducks, on the left is a well with holy water. Passage, stairs, gates... and you are in the heart of the monastery. From the outside, the walls seem impregnable, but inside everything is so dense and diverse that the eyes are darting in all directions.
The main goal is obvious — the relics of the Monk in the white stone Trinity Cathedral. There is always a queue for the temple, but the waiting is not burdensome: the air is saturated with prayer. Along the way, the gaze catches on:
 The Dukhovsky temple is light, slender, once served as a watchtower: a little alarm — and the bells on the oak beams called the brotherhood.
• Assumption Cathedral is a five—domed giant with magnificent murals; the services here are always crowded.
• The chapel above the altar is built directly above the healing spring, it is almost impossible to leave without holy water.
• The refectory with the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh is a luxurious building, where the aroma of monastery bread and ancient history is wafting.
• The small but precious Mikheevsky and Nikon temples are located over the coffins of Sergius' closest disciples.
And this is just the beginning: the Royal Palaces, the grand bell tower with 42 bells, the baroque Smolenskaya Church, the buildings of the Theological Academy.… The entire ensemble is protected by UNESCO.
In addition to the famous shrines, there are small oases of silence: a cozy courtyard behind the Trinity Cathedral, an alley for reflection, ancient graves where time seems to stand still. It is worth turning off the main path — and the lavra reveals its innermost secrets.
Most people do not come for a "selfie in the background", but for confession, prayer, communion and the wise word of a spiritual father. Divine services, especially during Lent, are impressive in scale — not everyone can stand six hours of prayer, so folding chairs are a common thing here.
Being late is undesirable: it is inconvenient neither for you nor for those who are already praying. Candles and notes should be prepared in advance, and the schedule of temples should be carefully studied at the entrance.
The sun, rain or bitter frost — the laurel meets with the same warmth. One day, on the fiercest day, I received an answer to a secret question from a monk I didn't know. And I thought then: why do people need distant countries when there is such a miracle nearby?
The Lord brings everyone here in his own way. Anyone who poses carelessly against the wall today may stay here forever tomorrow. After having tasted grace once, the soul can no longer live without it.…