Sergius of Radonezh, a hieromonk of the Russian church, founded the Holy Trinity Monastery, now known as the Trinity-Sergius Lavra in Sergiev Posad. Although the dates of his birth and death vary in sources, it is known that he lived in the 14th century. Sergius of Radonezh is considered a spiritual unifier of the Russian people, and his name is associated with the cultural ideal of Holy Russia and the development of Russian spiritual culture. He is venerated as a great ascetic of the Russian land and is respected by Orthodox Christians, including Old Believers. In the 1340s, in a remote forest on Makovets Hill, at the confluence of the Konchura River and the Vondyuga Stream, brothers Bartholomew (in monasticism Sergius) and Stephen built a cell and a small church in honor of the Trinity. Around them, a small monastery emerged, enclosed by a fence, where monks, followers of Sergius, served. Over time, this place became a center of pilgrimage for Orthodox Christians, and the Holy Trinity Monastery played an important role in the formation of Russian statehood. Sergius of Radonezh remains one of the most revered saints of the Russian Orthodox Church.