The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Theotokos in Suzdal

Suzdal

Suzdal is a town in Vladimir Oblast, Russia, situated northeast of Moscow, from the city of Vladimir, on the Kamenka River. Population: -History:...

 Russia is a World Heritage Site

World Heritage Site

A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...

. It is one of the eight White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal

White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal

The White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal is the name of a World Heritage Site in Russian Federation. The patrimony embraces eight medieval limestone monuments of Zalesye:*The Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir ;...

. One of the most complex monuments of Russian medieval architecture. It was originally constructed during the reign of Vladimir II Monomakh

Vladimir II Monomakh

Vladimir II Monomakh |Basileios]]) was a Velikiy Kniaz of Kievan Rus'.- Family :He was the son of Vsevolod I and Anastasia of Byzantium Vladimir II Monomakh |Basileios]]) (1053 – May 19, 1125) was a Velikiy Kniaz (Grand Prince) of Kievan Rus'.- Family :He was the son of Vsevolod I (married in...

 during the late 11th century.

The Cathedral of the Nativity is surrounded by a ring of earthen walls in an oxbow of Kamenka River. It is notable for being the first city cathedral not built for the exclusive use of the knyaz

Knyaz

Kniaz, knyaz or knez is a Slavic title found in most Slavic languages, denoting a royal nobility rank. It is usually translated into English as either Prince or less commonly as Duke....

 or his relatives. The cathedral contains the remains of a son of Yuri Dolgoruki

Yuri Dolgoruki

Prince Yuri I Dolgorukiy , also known as George I of Rus, was the founder of Moscow and a key figure in the transition of political power from Kiev to Vladimir-Suzdal following the death of his elder brother Mstislav the Great...

, knyazes of the Shuisky

Shuisky

The Princes Shuisky were a Rurikid family of boyars descending from Grand Duke Dmitry Konstantinovich of Vladimir-Suzdal and Prince Andrey Yaroslavich, brother to Alexander Nevsky. Their name is derived from the town of Shuya, of which they gained ownership in 1403. The family briefly reached the...

 family and others.

History

The cathedral was originally built during the reign of Vladimir II Monomakh. In 1222, on the orders of Yuri II of Vladimir the dilapidated building was taken down and replaced by a new one built of white stone. Thus it remained until 1528, when the white stone walls above the arcade are replaced by brick. In the 17th century, the previously three-domed cathedral was given five domes and the interior was partially repainted. Thus the cathedral survives to this day with numerous changes throughout its history, both in the exterior, and the interior, where the wall frescoes are of 13th, 15th and 17th century origin. The cathedral has also endured fire several times.

Further reading

• * Prof. Sergey Zagraevsky
  Sergey Zagraevsky
  Professor Dr. Sergéy Zagraévsky is a well-known Russian-Jewish painter, architectural historian, writer and theologian.- Biography :...
  
  . About the hypothetical “intermediate” building of the Cathedral of Nativity of Virgin Mary in Suzdal in 1148 and the original form of Suzdal temple of 1222–1225. Chapter from the book "New researches of Vladimir-Suzdal museum’s architectural monuments". Moscow, 2008.
• William Craft Brumfield. A History of Russian Architecture (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993) ISBN 9780521403337 (Chapter Three: "Vladimir and Suzdal Before the Mongol Invasion")

External links

• http://www.museum.vladimir.ru/eng/archive?filein=1121073300.news