Suzdal City: What to See and Do There

Suzdal city

Suzdal is the center of the district of the Vladimir region and is located on the picturesque shore of the Kamenka River. Here are about 200 historical monuments, many of which are World Heritage by UNESCO. Suzdal is the only museum city in Russia. Thousands of tourists come to see the provincial city of Suzdal today, who are attracted by its historical heritage and the richness of ancient Russian architecture. Suzdal is included in the Golden Ring of Russia, the most popular Russian tourist route.

The guests of the city celebrate that unique atmosphere of calm and cordiality inherent in the small Russian cities. Here they rest with their souls, enjoy the peace and absence of the bustle of big cities. The tourism business is well developed here, and residents welcome city guests with special hospitality and hospitality.

Despite the fact that modern Suzdal is a small city, it is among the 5 cities that were once the capitals of the Russian state.

The history of the city of Suzdal goes back almost a millennium: the first mention of Suzdal as a city dates back to 1024. Throughout its existence, Suzdal has experienced ups and downs. And, despite the lack of large manufacturing companies and a rich industrial sector, it remains one of the favorite places to relax both among Russian tourists and among guests from other countries.

Of particular interest are the views of Suzdal, monuments of Russian architecture, many of which were erected during the 11th-18th centuries. When you visit Suzdal, don’t miss the opportunity to admire the Savior-Euthymius and Pokrovsky monasteries, visit the Kremlin, the wooden architecture museum and many other old Suzdal buildings. We have prepared for you a brief description of the Suzdal museums, indicating addresses and schedules.

Suzdal seemed to be frozen in history. It is not surprising that its streets and views were and continue to be a frequent place to film national films. Even time in this amazing city goes its own way, historically. Rather, this is measured in an old bell located in the bell tower of the Bishops’ Chambers.

This clock appeared in Suzdal in the 17th century, and measures time as it did several centuries ago: on the dial, instead of the usual numbers, you will find Cyrillic letters: it was in Russia that they were used to designate each of the twelve hours. “Az, beech, lead …”, so the countdown continues with these chimes.

The clock still delights residents and visitors of the city with its melodic sound, being the rarest and at the same time operational mechanism.

The most attractive factor, perhaps, is how the holidays in Suzdal are celebrated: New Year, Christmas, Carnival, Ivan Kupala, Cucumber Day and many others. Russian parties are held here with a truly Russian scale: festivities, songs, round dances. And young guests will enjoy horseback riding, participate in competitions and attractions.

Suzdal Kremlin

The Kremlin of Suzdal was built in the eleventh and twelfth centuries to protect the city from the enemies of the east, south and west. On the north side of Suzdal, the Kamenka River blocked the path for the enemy. The Kremlin was surrounded by earth walls over a kilometer long; doors, towers and log walls were built. The ruins of the walls and ditches have survived to this day.

The oldest building in the Suzdal Kremlin is the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin. It was built in the thirteenth century under Prince George Vsevolodovich. In the 17th century, in the center of the main square of the Kremlin, stone buildings were erected in the Bishops’ Chambers, which included residential and agricultural buildings. Until the end of the 18th century, the Suzdal Kremlin served as the residence of the bishops of Vladimir-Suzdal. Today it is a museum complex, a monument of ancient Russian art and architecture.

Salvador-Eutimio Monastery in Suzdal.

The monastery on the high bank of the Kamenka River was founded by Suzdal and Prince Nizhny Novgorod, Boris Konstantinovich, in 1352. When the first abbot of the Eutimio monastery was canonized by all Russian saints, the monastery was called Spaso-Eutimio. In the 17th century, the buildings of the wooden monastery caught fire during the Polish-Lithuanian invasion, after which the monastery began to become powerful defensive towers. At the end of the 17th century, the Salvador-Eutimio Monastery was one of the largest in Russia.

In 1766, by decision of Catherine II, a prison was established in the monastery for political prisoners and the mentally ill. In the twentieth century, there was a political isolator, and then a verification filter field, through which more than 8 thousand people passed. Until the 1960s, an educational and labor colony for juvenile offenders was in the territory of the monastery. Only in 1968 the Spaso-Euthymius Monastery became a museum. Today it is part of the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum Reserve, and its exhibits present the history and culture of Suzdal.

WOOD ARCHITECTURE MUSEUM

The Museum of Architecture of Wood and Rural Life is a complex of outdoor architectural monuments. The museum’s exhibition reproduces a small town with cabins, churches, outbuildings and windmills from the 17th – 19th centuries, which were brought here from different parts of the Vladimir region.

Over the reconstituted town, two temples are erected, erected without a single nail. Here you can see the cabin of a simple farm worker, a prosperous farmer and a merchant. Inside the cabins are stored samovars and furniture, dishes and toys, wooden wheels and looms.

TEMPLE OF RESURRECTION OF THE WORDS OF THE PATAKINO IN THE MUSEUM OF WOOD ARCHITECTURE

The Church of the Resurrection of the Word was taken to the Museum of Wooden Architecture from the town of Patakino. The church was built in 1776, was consecrated in honor of the Resurrection of Christ. At that time, the temple belonged to landowner Ivan Akinfov. For a long time, the wooden church served as a cemetery church, which was assigned to the Trinity stone church in the village of Patakino.

The construction has the architectural form of a ship: the altar, the bell tower and the western porch of the church are built along an axis. The Church of the Resurrection of the Word became an exhibition of the Museum of Wooden Architecture in 1969-1970. Its restoration was carried out by the architect Valery Anisimov.

TEMPLE OF THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE LORD OF KOZLYEVO TO THE WOOD ARCHITECTURE MUSEUM

The Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord was built in the village of Kozlyatievo by unknown masters in 1756. During construction, they used exclusively wooden elements. The main building and the side rooms on behalf of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and Simeon Stolpnik are crowned with elegant wooden domes.

Inside the church, images of saints, a carved iconostasis from the 18th century and the Royal Doors decorated with images of the Annunciation and the four evangelists were preserved. In 1966, the Church of the Transfiguration was transferred to the Museum of Wooden Architecture.