TRINITY CATHEDRAL

Located in the centre of the monastery, the Trinity Cathedral was built in 1652. It has remarkable 17th century frescoes. Those of the narthex, contemporary (1912) are imitated of old frescos. On the wall opposite the entrance, the fresco of the Last Judgement, dates from the construction. The iconostasis is the work of local artists. It is set against a background of linden, a soft wood that can be worked well. Each column is carved from a trunk of linden, which the artist burned and worked until he obtained a completely openwork column decorated with bunches of grapes and acanthus leaves. The whole is gilded with very fine gold leaf. To the right of the choir, a room is reserved for the conservation of the most famous icons. In particular, there is a very rare icon on cloth, representing the Virgin of Feodorovskaya, and embroidered by the mother of the first Romanov czar, Michael. The Romanovs donated the back room to the Cathedral and the Godunovs donated the middle room. The Romanovs' room contains a number of interesting icons, such as this 16th-century Virgin characterized by the Child, still on her right arm, carrying a roll of paper and showing the way with two fingers. Located outside the cathedral, on the right, the necropolis houses the tomb of Boris Godunov's parents, but also that of the famous Chet (the presumed founder of the monastery) and that of Ivan Soussanine (which is even less likely) who would have been among the tombs destroyed in the 19th century.