Wat Mahathat Worawihan is an ancient royal temple built somewhere between the 11th to 13th century.
Wat Mahathat Worawihan is located in an old, busy district with narrow lanes and wooden shop houses in the old center of Phetchaburi town.
The large complex is surrounded by a wall with several large elaborate entrance gates. The Wat Mahathat Worawihan comprises of five large prangs, a viharn, an ubosot, several chedis, the kuti and several other monastic buildings. Most eye catching are the five white prangs towering above the area, that are visible from much of Phetchaburi.
The founding date of the temple is unknown, it is believed that Wat Mahathat dates back to the late Mon Dvaravati era or the Khmer era. Objects found during excavations suggest the first structures were built between eight to ten centuries ago. Today nothing remains of the original structures. The prangs have been rebuilt and enlarged many times over the centuries.
At the center of the Wat Mahathat is a large courtyard enclosed ...
The Holy Trinity of St. Sergius refers to the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, also known as the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra. This is the most important monastery in the Russian Orthodox Church and serves as one of the greatest spiritual centers of Russian Orthodoxy.
Located in Sergiev Posad, about seventy kilometers northeast of Moscow, the lavra was founded around 1337 by St. Sergius of Radonezh, one of Russia’s most beloved saints, together with his brother Stephen.
St. Sergius settled in the remote forest wilderness on Makovets Hill, where the brothers built a small wooden cell and a simple chapel dedicated to the Holy Trinity. As news of Sergius’s ascetic life and spiritual wisdom spread, disciples began to gather around him. The community gradually grew into a full monastery that adopted a communal monastic rule. Sergius became its first abbot, and the dedication to the Life-Giving Trinity reflected his profound emphasis on unity, love, and harmony, both in monastic life and in the broader ...
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The memorial was created after the remains of an unidentified Soviet soldier, killed in December 1941 during the Battle of Moscow, were exhumed from a mass grave near Zelenograd, the closest point German forces advanced toward the capital. These remains were reburied with full military honors on December 3, 1966.
The monument was officially unveiled on May 8, 1967, on the eve of Victory Day celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the Soviet victory in the Battle of Moscow.
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Designed by a team of architects and sculptor ...
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The cathedral’s location holds deep historical significance: it marks the very spot where, in 1860, the first Russian military post that would become Vladivostok was established, soon followed by a small wooden chapel. Construction of the modern cathedral began around 2011 after the site was consecrated in 2000, and it was fully completed and consecrated only in September 2023, making it a relatively new yet already beloved spiritual heart of the...
