Аrcheological excavations and surveys in the Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra permitted to form several interesting collections. First of all it was the collection of Medieval white grave-stones of the 15th – 17th century. Then, there was the collection of stove tiles including the collection of the so-called “red tiles” with royal symbols (lions, griffons, unicorns). They were produced in the Monastery and were used for decoration of the tsarina chambers.

The results of the expeditions were published in articles, reported at the conferences, displayed at the permanent and temporary exhibitions. In 1997, the Museum organized the first international conference “The Stone Age of the European Plains”. The archeological expeditions permitted to form the collection of over 3000 items reflecting several epochs – from the Stone Age (the 7th – 6th millennium B.C.) up to the Middle Ages (the 17th century A.D.).