The Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra, the jewel of Sergiev Possad, boasts two cathedrals, nine churches, a museum and several monastic buildings, sheltered behind imposing walls. Founded in the 14C by Sergius of Radonezh, the monastery was immensely prosperous and was thus able to call upon great artists such as Andrei Rublev and Daniil Chernyi. It is appropriately on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Eleven towers stand along the 1,500m-long fortifying walls in the centre of which rises Dormition Cathedral, one of the most beautiful sanctuaries in Russia.