Suzdal

Background

The history of Suzdal

• The first reference to Suzdal was made in the Chronicle in 1024 in connection with the peasants’ uprising suppressed by the prince Yaroslav the Wise. According to the archeological excavations the first settlements of Suzdal were organized in the 9th century.
• In the 12th century Suzdal was the capital of Rostov-Suzdal Principality. Yury Dolgoruky the first Suzdal prince in 1147 founded the city of Moscow. His wife and son are buried in the Church of St Boris and St Gleb.
• In the 14th century Suzdal became a religious center. There was started the construction of the brick Archbishop’s Chambers (the residence of Suzdal clergy of higher orders), the monasteries and other ensembles that still remain in Suzdal.
• Since the 16th century the monasteries of Suzdal were used as prisons for religious and political freethinkers and for some of the Great Russian princesses.
• In the beginning of the 17th century Suzdal was besieged by Poles and Lithuanians. The national army was led by the Suzdal born prince Dmitry Pozharsky. The tomb of the royal family Pozharsky is located in the in the Monastery of our Savior and St Euthimius.
• In the 18th century Suzdal lost its significance as a religious centre though remained a place of pilgrimage. In this time gardening and farming began to develop in Suzdal.
• In 1967 the Vladimir region was established. Suzdal became a district town. By a decision of the government Suzdal was turned into a town-museum and a tourist centre. In this way Suzdal is considered to be unique.
• In 1983 the «Golden Apple», a prestigious award from FIJET, the International Foundation of Journalists Writing About Tourism was presented to Suzdal for the preservation and restoration of monuments using them in the interests of tourism.

Dates of interest

• 1024 — The first written mention of Suzdal
• The late 1090s — The first prince of Suzdal, Yury Dolgoruky, was born
• 1101 — The construction of the first stone church, Nativity Cathedral
• 1152 — Yury Dolgoruky built the Church of St Boris and St Gleb at Kideksha. This Church is included in the list of the World Cultural Heritage by a decision of UNESCO
• 1207 — The foundation of the Convent of the Deposition of the Robe (Ryzopolozhensky Convent)
• 1240 — Prince Alexander Nevsky founded a great monastery, Alexandrovskaya Lavra
• The beginning of the 14th century — The construction of the Archbishop’s Chambers, the foundation of the Intercession (Pokrovsky) Convent and the Monastery of our Savior and St Euthimius (Spaso-Yevfimiyev Monastery)
• 1642 — Russian military leader Dmitry Pozharsky was buried in the Monastery of our Savior and St Euthimius
• 1728 — Alexander Suvorov was born. The Suvorov family’s properties are situated near Suzdal
• 1788 — The approval of the architectural design of Suzdal
• 1913 — Emperor Nikolay visited Suzdal
• 1967 — Suzdal became an international tourist center
• 1960–1980 — A number of well-known Russian and foreign films including the American made film «Peter the Great» were shot in Suzdal
• 1983 — The «Golden Apple», a prestigious award from FIJET, the International Foundation of Journalists Writing About Tourism was granted to the town
• 1992 — Four monuments of architecture in Suzdal were included in the list of the World Cultural Heritage by a decision of UNESCO

Highlights

Photo by Kirill Lyadvinsky website Pixabay 

There are about 300 architectural monuments in Suzdal. Four of them, the Nativity Cathedral (Rozhdestvensky Cathedral) (the 13th-century) that is situated in the Kremlin, the Saint Boris and the Saint Gleb Church (the 12th-century), the ensembles of the Intercession (Pokrovsky) Convent and the Monastery of our Savior and St Euthimius (Spaso-Yevfimiyev Monastery) were included in the list of the World Cultural Heritage of UNESCO.

Most of the monuments in Suzdal are owned by the Federal government. The small number of monuments is owned by the town government of Suzdal. During the last 10 years, two monasteries (Pokrovsky and Vasilyevsky) and a number of cathedrals were given to the Russian Orthodox Church.