The priceless icon of the Virgin of Vladimir which was considered the patroness and protector of the ancient Russia used to adorn the Dormition Cathedral. Now it is in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.
Vladimir city used to be the administrative, cultural and religious center of North-Eastern Rus. It was here in the Dormition Cathedral great princes were crowned reigning.
The History of Vladimir
Vladimir city was founded in 1108 by Vladimir II Monomakh, grand prince of Kie, father of Yuri Dolgorukiy. By the middle of the 12th century, the town was among the most prosperous in northern Russia.
In 1157 Yuri Dolgorukiy’s son, Prince Andrey Bogolyubskiy, decided to move the capital of the Russian state here from Kiev. Craftsmen from all over Russia as well as Poland and the Holy Roman Empire subsequently contributed to the beautifying of the new capital.
The city was twice sacked by the Mongols in the 13th century. In 1300 the Orthodox metropolitan was established there.
The suitably imposing entry- the Golden Gates, erected by order of prince Andrey Bogolyubskiy in 1164- paves the way for Vladimir’s greatest treasure, the Dormition Cathedral.
The Golden Gates is not only an architectural monument but it also served as a defensive structure. They survived the onslaught of the Tatar hordes during the siege of the city by Khan Batu.
One of the most distinctive sounds in Russia is that of its church bells. The art of bell-making is a tradition that stretches back for centuries and has long been the envy of other nations.
The famous “Vladimirka” went through the town (the roadway for exiled people from Moscow to Siberia). Vladimir is the Motherland of admiral Lazarev, one of the explorers of the Antarctica Continent of composer Taneev, of physicist Stoletov.
What you will see on the Tour
- The Cathedral of St. Demetrius in the Vladimir Kremlin, dating back to 1194 constructed on the orders of Vsevolod the Big Nest to serve as his court's church. It is dedicated to the martyr St Demetrius of Thessaloniki, whose name Vsevolod took when he was christened. It included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
- The Golden Gates (1164) were built on the orders of Andrey Bogolyubsky to serve as the main entrance into the city. Now the gates have become a symbol of the city.
- The Dormition Cathedral (The Assumption Cathedral) , the original version was built on the orders of Andrey Bogolyubsky to hold Our Lady of Vladimir Icon. The cathedral was rebuilt in 1186 by Vsevolod the Big Nest as the largest in Russia at this time. It is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List
- The Nativity Monastery (the Warrior Prince Alexander Nevsky was buried there in 1263)
- Prince Vladimir the Great monument, located on Sobornaya Square dedicated to the Prince who baptized ancient Rus.
- The white-stone Church of the Intercession on the Nerl built in the 12th century by Prince Andrey Bogolyubsky still remains in its beauty and harmony decorated with a skillful stone carving. The area, on which it is located, is now declared a historical and landscape complex of regional importance being included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
