Museum

Website of the Museum of Christian Art “Church-Archaeological Cabinet” — christianmuseum.ru

The Museum of Christian Art “Church-Archaeological Cabinet” is located in the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, in the building of the former imperial palace of the 17th century. The collection, comprising over 20,000 works of art, belongs to the Moscow Theological Academy. It is the largest museum of the Russian Orthodox Church, and its collection is rightly called the “Church Hermitage.”

The museum was founded in 1871, and its exhibition traces the development of Christian art, from the Roman catacombs to the paintings of 20th-century artists such as Viktor Vasnetsov, Mikhail Nesterov, Vasily Surikov, and others. The collection is renowned for masterpieces of Greek and Old Russian icon painting, works from Old Believer schools, and craftsmen of the Russian North. Many items hold not only artistic but also sacred value, such as the sandals of St. Sergius of Radonezh or the miraculous statue of the Savior mentioned in the life of Blessed Matrona of Moscow.

The academic museum houses a unique collection of graphics, antimensia (altar cloths), embroidery, small sculptures, church utensils, and ancient books. Here, one can see the famous first printed “Apostol” from the printing house of Ivan Fyodorov and Pyotr Mstislavets from 1564, the Ostrog Bible of 1581, and other rarities.

Students of the Moscow Theological Academy undergo practical training at the Museum of Christian Art “Church-Archaeological Cabinet.” Since 2018, the exhibition has been open to pilgrims and tourists.

Visiting hours

Monday – Friday::

9:00–18:00

Saturday:

9:00–17:00

Sunday:

11:00–18:00

Pre-booking of guided tours by phone: +7 (496) 541-55-01

The museum is closed for visitors on:

First three days of Bright Week
First and Holy Week of Great Lent

For information about days when the museum is closed to visitors, please check the website or call: +7 (496) 541-55-01

Rules for visitors

Outerwear must be left in the cloakroom.

Large items are not allowed in the museum: bags, briefcases, backpacks, umbrellas, liquids in any container, including drinks. Please hand over the above items to the museum cloakroom. It is not allowed to consume food and drinks in the museum. Smoking is prohibited on the territory of the Moscow Theological Schools and the Museum. Please turn off mobile phones when visiting the museum expositions.

Photography and filming

Professional video and photography, reproduction and publication of photographs from the exhibits of the Museum are possible only with the permission of the museum's administration.

Catering for guests and pilgrims

You can order a meal for your group in the Festive Chamber (entrance from the narthex of the Academic Church of the Protection) by contacting the Cellarer’s Service at the following numbers: +7 (963) 770-22-73; +7 (496) 541-56-26; +7 (965) 342-85-17. The refectory can accommodate groups of up to 120 people.

More information at https://царские-чертоги.рф/

Tours

Tours are offered for all categories of visitors - schoolchildren, students of secondary special and higher educational institutions, adult visitors, pilgrims and tourist groups.

Rules for ordering excursions:

Groups are accepted only by appointment.
To book a guided tour, call any day from 10:30 to 16:30 at: +7 (496) 541-55-01.
The minimum group size is 10 people.
The maximum group size is 40 people.
Tours last 30 to 60 min.
Excursions are conducted by students and staff of the Museum.

For inquiries, call: +7 (496) 541-55-01

Old museum website: acmus.ru