Vladimir is a Russian city, the administrative center of the Vladimir region, located on the left bank of the Klyazma, 176 km east of Moscow. This city was previously the ancient capital of Eastern Russia, and in modern times it is one of the largest tourism centers in the country.
Vladimir is one of the cities of the "Golden Ring" of Russia. Founded in 1108 by Prince Vladimir Monomakh as a strategically important fortress for protection from foreigners. He defended the southeastern borders of the Rostov-Suzdal principality.
The city above the Klyazma River is justly proud of its preserved monuments of its past, included in the UNESCO heritage list. Vladimir is a city with a rich history that has withstood the raids of foreign invaders - Tatar-Mongols, Poles and Germans. Now it is a thriving regional center, combining both ancient monuments and new buildings in the Art Nouveau style.
All over the world Vladimir is known for its souvenirs: magnificent products made of birch bark, fabrics, wood, jewelry made of stones and enamel, crystal; lacquer miniatures. Souvenirs depicting architectural monuments are especially popular with tourists: the Golden Gate, the Assumption Cathedral, the Cathedral of the Intercession on the Nerl and Bogolyubov.
Be sure to visit the Assumption Cathedral, which has stood on Vladimir land for over 800 years. He witnessed the rapid flourishing of Vladimir-Suzdal Rus and its cruel devastation by hordes of Tatar-Mongol invaders. The cathedral is a true treasury of ancient Russian culture. Within its walls, examples of art by the best artists of various times have been preserved, from nameless masters of the middle of the 12th century to Andrei Rublev and other geniuses of the 17-18 centuries.
In the necropolis of the Assumption Cathedral, located in the gallery, the great Vladimir men of princely blood are buried: Andrei Bogolyubsky, Vsevolod the Big Nest, his son Yuri and others. Ancient Russian writers - Bishop Simon ("Kiev-Pechora Patericon") and Serapion Vladimirsky also rest here.
No less interesting is the Dmitrievsky Cathedral, built in the 1190s as the palace church of the Vladimir prince Vsevolod. In 1992, the Dmitrievsky Cathedral was included in the UNESCO Heritage List.
In addition to the aforementioned masterpieces of Russian architecture, the city has other architectural monuments that reflect various milestones in the historical development of Vladimir - Trinity Church, the Assumption Cathedral of the Princess of the Monastery, the Nativity Monastery.
Not far from the Golden Gate there is an exposition "Old Vladimir". It is located in the building of a former water tower, built in 1912 and long since lost its original purpose. The original exposition, which is now located in it, tells about the city of the late 19th - early 20th centuries. She accurately recreates the atmosphere of the old city - bourgeois, bureaucratic, merchant.
To emphasize the entire flavor of the era, the interiors of the rooms of a wealthy citizen, a police station, a church shop, and a tavern have been recreated here. All this is accompanied by authentic newspaper clippings of the time. The exposition occupies three floors, on the fourth there is an observation deck from which picturesque views of the city with numerous architectural monuments are opened, among which the white-stone cathedrals of the 12th century stand out.
