The small Mikheyevskaya Church, which is located by the northwestern entrance to the Refectory Church of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, may at first go unnoticed. It looks more like a side chapel attached to the church. However, as you come closer, you will realize that this is a genuine full-fledged church, even if it seems small against the backdrop of the nearby buildings.
It was built in 1734 and stands above the grave of Venerable Mikhey, a disciple of Sergius of Radonezh. He was a witness to the appearance of the Mother of God to Venerable Sergius. In honor of this event, the altar in Mikheyevskaya Church was consecrated.
In shape, the church building is an octagon. It is decorated with pilasters on the facades with large arched windows. The walls are covered with picturesque ornamentation.
The church is crowned by a small gilded cupola with a cross. The roof is quite unusual: two-tiered, built according to the "Dutch" principle: it is slightly curved, and thanks to this a wave effect is created. In the 19th century, almost all the cells of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra were covered in this way, but this interesting technique has survived only on Mikheyevskaya Church.
