Closest to Moscow of the Golden Ring cities, Sergeev Posad developed from a settlement around the Troitse-Sergeeva Lavra, one of Russia's most famous monasteries. The town was renamed Zagorsk during the Soviet period, during which it was a site of pilgrimage and considered the center of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Sergeev Posad is also known for the production of wooden carvings (toys in particular) and matryoska dolls.