Vladimir

The city of Vladimir is one of the oldest and most famous Russian cities of the central Russian region. It is located in the heart of the historic Vladimir region 180 kilometres northeast of Moscow on the bank of the Klyazma River. Founded in 995, this great historical Russian city was the capital of ancient Rus and was the political, cultural and religious centre. Vladimir is considered one of the eight major cities of Russia’s celebrated Golden Ring of communities. Among many other attractions, the city boasts three World Heritage Sites. These are the Golden Gates, and the white-stone architecture of the Assumption and St. Demetrius Cathedrals. The city offers a vibrant culture featuring many world-class musicians, dancers, artists and artisans. It is also home to several award winning museums and exhibits, art galleries and theatres testifying to the presence of its rich religious and secular historic architecture.

The city has the population of 360,000 people and covers the area of 11,145 hectares.Growing cities in the region other than Vladimir are Kovrov, Murom, Alexandrov and Gus-Krustalny. Vladimir has a millenial history; according to the latest data discovered by the historians and archaeologists, Vladimir was founded in 995. In the early part of Vladimir's history the city was the capital of Russia. It was a political, cultural and religious centre .

Vladimir is famous for its unique cathedrals dating back to the XII century. Four of them are included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. The city belongs to the so called "Golden Ring" of Russia and, consequently, presents a major international tourist center. The geographical position of Vladimir makes it an attractive place for business development. The city is located in the Central Region of Russia; 180 km east of Moscow. Such prominent scientific-industrial centers as Nizhni-Novgorod, Ivanovo, Yaroslavl and Ryazan are situated not far from Vladimir. The city is linked with them by railways and highways.

Usually the Golden Ring tour buses come to Vladimir through the famous Golden Gate, stop on the main Sobornaya square to decharge their lot of tourists in front of St Dimitry's and Assumption cathedrals, then they continue their way to the more picturesque Suzdal. But there's more to Vladimir, than the famous churches and some museums that can tell you a lot about the history of old Russia: the town provides interesting insights on provincial Russian life. Don't limit yourself to just a few churches and museums, anyway, for the architecture you can visit the nearby Suzdal. It's much more interesting to just walk around the main avenue, and see how people look and how they live, take some side streets and stroll along quiet residential areas in the centrum and the outskirts. A young artist and restaurator, who, being a bit drunk on Saturday night, helps you to find a way to your hotel and talks incessantly, two old women walking around the famous cathedrals, talking about how it was before, and adoring their town, a family having a picnic on a small field overlooking the railway and Klyazma river, young people spending their time drinking beer and vodka next to the one of the main attractions - Water Tower, a street market set up by babushkas selling home-grown veggies, next to 'Zolotoe Koltso' hotel in suburbs.

CHURCHES AND CATHEDRALS IN VLADIMIR

Trinity Church
Trinity Church It is one of the latest Churches in Vladimir. It was built of local brick in 1913-1916 at the expenses of the old believers community by architect S.M.Zharov. It was sanctified on the 30th of October, 1916. The church is the building made of the red brick in the so-called pseudo-Byzantinesque style. The building consists of two volumes connected with one another i.e. a church and a bell tower. A high silhouette with a stepped upper part is topped with a helmet-shaped dome, the western part, i.e. the bell tower is a little bit lower. The white stone socle, the outlines of the windows and portals contrast with the dark color of the building. The church is decorated with the bands. The last service took place in the church in 1928 and the local archival office was placed here. Later on the building was used for different purposes, until the exhibition of the Vladimir-Suzdal museum-reserve was organized here in 1976.

The Golden Gate
Extremely rare monument of the old-russian fortification. It was built in white stone in 1158-1164 by Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky of Vladimir and was the main entrance and defensive tower of the new fortress, created by the prince. The fortress had 5 outer gates, but only the Golden Gate could survive.

The Golden Gate is a mighty tower pierced with an archway, 14 meters high and with a cross - piece in the middle of its height. Into this cross-piece the enormous oaken gate covered with gilded copper fitted. In order to defend the approaches to the gate a wooden defensive platform was constructed on the level with the arched cross-piece. On the top of the tower over the archway there was the tiny church of the Deposition of the Robe of the Holy Virgin. The steps made inside the south wall of the tower led up to the church. Another defensive platform, surrounded by an indented parapet was on the top the tower around the church. Battle tower, triumphant arch and church - all rolled into one in laconic but very impressive architecture of the Golden Gate - the main gate of Vladimir, which became the new capital of the North-Eastern Russia under prince Andrei Bogolyubsky.

Earth ramparts of the city fortress adjoined the Gate on both sides. In 1238 the Golden Gate survived the assault of the mongol-tartar army and was not covered with shame at that. The enemy could get inside the city not through the Gate, but through the breaks they made in wooden walls over the ramparts. Despite numerous fires and wars, dilapidation and several repairs the original appearance of the Golden Gate had been preserved almost without any alteration up to the late 18th - early 19th centuries. At the end of the 18th century the building was seriously changed. The earth ramparts, which adjoined the Gate were removed; buttresses surrounded by circular bastions were added to four corners of the old tower to reinforce it; the gateway church was built in brick and reconstructed in 1810; the platform around the church was turned into a covered gallery.

Today the Golden Gate is a part of the Vladimir and Suzdal museum, in 1992 it was inscribed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO.

The Cathedral of St. Demetrius
Unique monument of the Vladimir and Suzdal architecture and plastic art. It was built in 1190-es by prince Vsevolod the Big Nest as his palace church. This is a small, four-pillared and one-domed cathedral, but its harmonious proportions and sculptured decorations impart magnificence and aristocraticism to its appearance which reflects the heyday in the cultural development of the principality of Vladimir and Suzdal.

The walls of the cathedral are decorated with carved reliefs (more than one thousand carved stones). The carving, resembling a precious garment, covers the whole upper tier of the church. The most noticeable relief is that of King David of the Bible, who is seen high in the central zakomaras of all three facades. There is also Alexandre the Great on the southern wall and Old Testament warrior Samson on the western side. Sitting on his throne, prince Vsevolod of Vladimir - the founder of this cathedral - is represented on the northern facade.

The reliefs of the cathedral of St. Demetrius are like mysterious characters, only some symbols are clear to us today, their general intention is scarcely shown through. The cathedral's interior preserves frescoes of the 12th century. The building seems to be so solid and complete, although it lost its ancient galleries. In 1838 these old structures were mistaken for those of much later date and demolished.

Nowadays, the cathedral is a part of Vladimir-Suzdal museum. The building has been restored more than once, the restoration is still going on. The cathedral of St. Demetrius was inscribed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO.

Assumption Cathedral
It was founded by Vladimir prince Andrey Bogolubsky in 1158 on a high hill next to Klyazma river, and was meant to embody the power and importance of Vladimir-Suzdal principality. Called in Russian 'Uspensky Sobor', it's one of the most important and interesting monuments of the ancient Russian architecture. Italian architect Aristotel Fioravanty, who built almost half of Moscow Kremlin, had studied the architecture of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir, and built the same kind of cathedral with the same name in Moscow Kremlin. Andrey Bogolubsky, the founder of the cathedral, gave great importance to the cathedral, so it was painted and decorated very richly inside. Although the cathedral looks very massive from the outside, the interior is made in such way, that you won't feel the 'heaviness' inside.
During the Tartars invasions the cathedral was devastated, and only in the beginning of the 18th century, at the times of Peter the Great, it was restored completely.

Mikhail Archangel's Church
Mikhail Archangel's Church is located not a long way from the center and the golden gate, near the hotel zarya. This church is made from red brick and bears all the features of the byzantine style. Mikhail archangel's church was built at the end of the xixth century.
Vladimir holds the key to the best of russian creativity, with its world renown stone architecture and awe-inspiring performances. today the city provides an atmosphere that nurtures spiritual values that underlies the work of recognized creative collections, artists, musicians, and writers. from the beautiful carvings and paintings of the assumption cathedral, to the grandeur of the golden gates, vladimir offers a spectacular view of a history rich in culture and traditions.

The Church Of St. Nicholas At The Galleys
The Church Of St. Nicholas at the galleys is the smallest in Vladimir and nonetheless a very fascinating one, and its building and its history all present a great interest. the church was built in 1732-1735 and its construction was sponsored by a rich merchant Ivan Grigoriev Pavlygin.

The Church Of St. Nicholas at the galleys stands at the foot of the hills where a landing platform on Klyazma used to be, it was this landing platform which gave the church the addition "at the galleys". galleys were rowing ships used in the old times and as Vladimir was a trading center, they were in abundance here. Moreover St. Nicolas is a patron saint of seamen, that is why the church is called so and is located so close to the river and the landing platform.

The chronicle mentions that already in twelfth century here stood another church also named after st. nicolas, but it was wooden and was destroyed by time or something more powerful. but the contemporary church is not an exact copy of its predecessor. first of all it is made of stone and is built according to the traditions of its age - xviiith century.

A broad band of Kokoshniki runs across the top of the facades and the Nalichniki are particularly ornate. adjoined to the northwest corner is an original bell-tower, shaped like a square tower with a high spire, the niches of which are set with green tiles. the ancient internal decor and wall paintings are partially preserved and are open to visitors.

The Church of St. Nicolas at the galleys is a functioning church.

The Georgy Church
The Georgy Church was founded on old historical places, which once belonged to the prince. the contemporary building of the church was finished in 1796 and is marked by the provincial style of baroque. But it is not the first church in this place as before here stood a white stone church of 1157 erected by Yury Dolgoruky. that Church did not survive and was destroyed in the fire of 1778. the only remaining parts of the ancient church are the foundation and lower parts of the walls.
Nowadays the Georgy Church houses the theatre of choral music.

Spaso-Preobrazhensky Church
Spaso-Preobrazhensky Church belongs to the end of the xviiith century but in history as a great number of other churches it had its predecessor. here in 1164 was built a palace white stone church of spas, though this church existed only till the fire of 1778 which brought destruction not only to this church but to many others. This was a temple for trade people. it was erected in the style of old white stone constructions, but nonetheless contained some elements of baroque. some of the ancient wall paintings inside the church have been preserved. It is now it is a parochial functioning church

Nikolo-Kremlevskaya Church
Nikolo-Kremlevskaya Church was built in 1769 when the style of baroque was only penetrating into Vladimir as the church has quite a serene image and a simple decor. There s a belfry attached to the main building of the church. Now Nikolo-Kkremlevskaya church houses the city planetarium.

The Church of the Intercession on the Nerl River
One of the most poetic structures of Ancient Russia is the church of the Intercession, situated in the flooded meadows at the confluence of the Nerl and Klyazma rivers. In spite of the fact that it was built of white stone the shape of the church is graceful and silhouette is elegant. The reliefs - female masks, the frieze and the figure of King David in the center - form the idea of the Intercession of the Virgin.
This church is the masterpiece of white stone traditions of Andrei Bogolyubsky's reign. The church was reconstructed. Originally it was surrounded with the galleries and the hill it stands on was covered with white stone. As the part of the Bogolyubovo convent it is being used both by the museum and the church. It's on the World Heritage List of UNESCO.

OTHER IMPORTANT BUILDINGS

The Princess' Convent
By the 19th century only two monasteries remained out of a great number that once were the decoration and protection of Vladimir. one of them is the princess" convent which was founded in 1200 in the north-western corner of the city by maria shavronova, the wife of prince vsevolod iii. originally the convent hosted the assumption cathedral, but as it was built of bricks it did not survive the tartar invasion and was destroyed, like many other buildings in vladimir. it had been restored only at the turn of 15th-16th century and in the 17th century it was painted by an outstanding 17th century artist - mark matveev. his frescoes have been preserved and now are to be seen on the walls of the cathedral.
The princess' monastery was re-instituted in 1992 after being closed in 1923 and the Vladimir-Suzdal museum-preserves granted the convent the oldest and the most valuable of its icons, the "god-loving mother of god", so you still have a chance of visiting such a marvelous and pacifying place. in order to reach the monastery, it is necessary to turn up from Bolshaya Moscow Street to devicheskaya street and then to pass several hundred meters to Lybed.

The Chambers Building
Located between the Assumtion cathedral and Dmitry's cathedral, it was built in 1790, as a place for the government of Vladimir region. Now the Chambers host historical, archeological, and art exhibitions, connected with Vladimir region.
A historical exhibition is called "The beauty of the old times", and tells about the history of Vladimir region. The archeological exhibition has interesting things found in archeilogical research near Sungiri town in Vladimir region. The art gallery features Russian art pieces of the 18th-19th centuries and modern art.

The Water Tower
It was first built in the end of the 19th centruy, and completly rebuilt in 1912. The tower is built of red bricks in 'pseudorussian' style, it has a form of a cistern and widens on the top. After the restoration works in 1970s, the tower hosts an exhibition called 'Old Vladimir', with a great view on the historical centre of the town.

Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky's residence
It was built in 1158-1164 on the bank of the Klyazma river ten kilometers from Vladimir. It looked as a town encircled by earth ramparts, white stone walls and moats. The white stone residence was remarkable for its beauty. The church of the Nativity of the Holy Virgin was connected to the living quarters and the fortress wall by the galleries and towers.
The cathedral was decorated with carved relief's, frescoes, copper and gilt details, ceramic floors and stained glass windows. Marble-like painting decorated round columns supporting the vault and the cupola. At the entrance to the cathedral stood a wonderful font under a canopy. The square was paved with white stone slabs.
Andrei Bogolyubsky spent here 17 years of his reign and was murdered here in the staircase tower in 1774. This very two-tiered tower and the gallery attached to it are the only fragments that have survived out of the numerous buildings of the royal residence.

After the prince's death a monastery has been established in Bogolyubovo. The ancient cathedral crumbled away with age and in the 18th century was replaced with a new one. A hipped roofed belfry was built over the staircase tower.

In the 19th century the high above - the-gate church of the Assumption with a bell-tower and the huge 5-domed cathedral were built.
The appearance of the ancient cathedral has been reconstructed thanks to the excavations led by N.Voronin in the 20th century.
Now there's a convent in Bogolyubovo. Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky's residence - the unique monument of secular architecture - is being used by both the museum of Vladimir and Suzdal and the convent.
It's on the World Heritage List of UNESCO.

Vladimir is small enough to walk around, but you can take a bus, a trolley, or a shuttle to move around different parts of the city centrum.
The useful trolley route is #8, that goes from the middle of Bolshaya Moskovskaya (the main street) to the direction of Hotel Zolotoye Koltso. Other buses and trolleys go along the main street. A ticket costs 2.5 roub ($0.09).

Taking a car or a taxi
As in any part of Russia, you can wave down a car and go anywhere you want for money. The prices are a bit high, you can take a car from Vladimir to Suzdal for 350 roub ($12). The taxists tell the tales that the city is dangerous to walk around, to make you use their services.
Taxi service. Phone: (4922) 4-18-10

The main post and telegraph office, where you can make local and international phone calls is located on Pobelskogo street, 3-5 minutes walk from Sobornaya square. It's opened from 8 to 20 on weekdays.
The internet access is available in 'XXI century' computer club (11, Bolshaya Moskovskaya, phone: (4922) 32-64-71), which is opened from 10 until 18, an hour in the internet is 48 roubles ($1.6), you can also type your texts there, and save them on the disquette (15 roubles ($0.5) for using a disq. drive).
The mobile phones of 'MTS' company are working in the whole Vladimir region for the same price ($0.23 a minute) as in Moscow, so if you have roaming with 'MTS', you can use your cellphone.
You can have a midday meal in Vladimir for around 80-100 roubles ($2.7-$3.5 US), most of the restaurants and bars are located along the main avenue - Bolshaya Moskovskaya (ÅÓθ-‡? åÓÒÍÓ‚Ò͇?) street. Most of the restaurants have polite and attentive waiters, but there are some bars that can try to make money on you, so be careful.
There's a nice supermarket at the junction of Dvoryanskaya and Bolshaya Moskovskaya, offering a good selection of food, groceries, fruits, cereals, diary - everything one needs to have a nice breakfast.

Stary Gorod is a good restaurant on the main avenue of Vladimir, serves Russian and European cuisine with very polite and attentive waiters. There's a restaurant and a bar inside, and a cafe outside. You can have a 3 course meal for around 90-150 roubles ($3-$5), depending on what you take and how much you need. If you want to save money, take a fish for 55 roubles ($2) with potatoes or rice (5 r - $0.16), a salad ($1), and water ($0.3). A good volume for money is rice at 5 roubles ($0.16) a portion.
Address: Bolshaya Moskovskaya street, close to Sobornaya square, opposite of 'Lipki' park and Dmitry's cathedral. 5-10 minutes walk from the railway and bus stations. Opened 10.00 to 2.00
Among other places to eat is a 'Sobornaya Ploshchad' bar next to the 'Stary Gorod' restaurant, which has the same prices, but less inviting interior. A restaurant in Vladimir hotel (Bolshaya Moskovskaya, 74; close to the railway station) offers meals at around $5, russian cuisine.
Various bars along the part of Bolshaya Sadovaya starting from Sobornaya square and finishing at the Golden Gates offer slightly less priced meals, popular among the locals.

Vladimir is a good place to go out if you want to see how they do it in Russian province. What surprises when you arrive to the city, is the amount of casinos on the main street, it first looks like it's the favourite entertainment of the local people but the young people say that they like walking around the city, having picnics in the parks, going out to the recently opened fancy cinema hall (take a trolley #8 along Dvoryanskaya street to the direction of Moscow, the cinema building is blue with white on the left, after 'Zarya' hotel. around 10-15 minutes by trolley from the centrum).
The favourite discos are 'Brighton' on Bolshaya Moskovskaya and 'Kolizey' at the former house of officers (in front of the supermarket on Dvoryanskaya street).
Older people and local businessmen like bars on the main avenue, where they can sing Russian karaoke songs.