The majestic and monumental Успенский собор is one of the most significant church buildings of the Троице-Сергиева лавра. It was founded in 1559 by order of Ivan the Terrible, who personally attended this solemn ceremony with his entire family. The construction lasted more than a quarter of a century and was completed only in 1585, and its consecration was honored by the son of Ivan the Terrible, Fyodor Ioannovich.
The design was based on the model of the Успенский собор of the Moscow Kremlin. It has the same five domes and five apses, but unlike the white-stone church in Moscow, brick was used here as the building material. The difference can also be seen in the greater massiveness and austerity of the exterior decorative details.
The interior is striking in its incomparable beauty and splendor. The high vault is supported by six rectangular pylons, each three meters thick. The chapels of Feodor Stratilates and Martyr Irene are located by the main altar. The third chapel, in honor of Nicholas the Wonderworker, appeared at the beginning of the XVII century, after the heroic defense of the monastery against the Poles and Lithuanians.
The entire cathedral is covered with amazing frescoes created by Yaroslavl and Trinity masters of the XVII century. The central five-tier iconostasis appeared at about the same time. In addition, the church contains many прекрасных decorative ornaments created in different eras.
