ИСТИНА

RAS Institute of Archaeology researched Russia's oldest monastery – the Trinity St Sergius Lavra. The Moscow Divinity Academy of the Russian Orthodox Church – founded in 1685, Russia's oldest institute of learning – moved there in 1814. From 1871 a special area of the Academy's gardens served as a cemetery for Academy members, until 1916. After 1917 the Academy was closed, its cemetery rased, the memorials destroyed. The probable cemetery site was investigated in 2014 - aiming to establish its location, degree of preservation, and the sites of specific graves for their identification. Work began with archival research, burial lists, and preliminary mapping of burial locations. Geo-radar searches revealed three rows – presumably graves, yet conflicting with archive information. Excavations located gravestone remains, and grave outlines. Three tombs were identified from gravestones – two Academy Rectors and a Distinguished Professor. Identifying other tombs required opening them. 37 tombs were researched. Analysis revealed the the deceased's high social status, with floridly-decorated tombstones, contrasted with simple tombs. Grave goods and shrouds delineated three groups – students, teachers, and clergymen. Anthropologists and coroners worked on identification directly at gravesides. 3D scans and photogrammetry work produced virtual models from the remains. Skull analysis enabled identification of five Academy professors. Cross-disciplinary archaeology, anthropology, forensics, geo-radar and study of historic items made grave identification of 12 professors and rectors, 3 students, and 2 Academy staff possible. They aided preliminary conclusions on other graves where no direct identification has yet proved possible. 24 graphic portraits of the deceased were compiled.