The emergence of the principality of Suzdal or, to be more precise,
Rostov-Suzdal, dates back to the period of the decline of Kievan Russia. Almost
simultaneously the principalities of Polotsk, Smolensk, Novgorod and
Murom-Ryazan arose in the north, Rostov-Suzdal's neighbors, and those of Kiev,
Chernigov-Seversky, Volhynia and Halich in the south. The life of the Southern
Slavs, however, was gradually disrupted by the incursions of nomadic tribes,
and they began to move northwards.
This video contains nearly all of the historic cathedrals from the City of Vladimir, located in Russia's famed Golden Ring. The clip features the sounds of Russian Orthodox monastic vespers.
The farmers were attracted by the fertile Suzdalian plains, rich forests
and rivers. The first prince of these lands was Vladimir Monomachus. In order
to protect his new principality he erected a fortress of the high bank of the
River Kliazma, thereby laying the foundations of the town which bears his name
to this day. In a single century, during the reign of Vladimir Monomachus, his
son Yury Dolgoruky (Yury the Long-Armed) and his grandsons Andrey Bogoliubsky
and Vsevolod III, known as Vsevolod the Big Nest because of his many children,
the principality became strong and powerful.
True, the interests of the princes did not lie exclusively in these
lands, but Andrey Bogoliubsky actually left Kiev against his father's wishes
to reign In the Suzdalian principality. He made the comparatively new town of
Vladimir his capital, instead of the older ones of Suzdal and Rostov where the
boyars were powerful. While striving hard to unite all the Russian lands,
Andrey was always concerned to enhance the importance of his own possessions.
His fellow countrymen and foreign guests were most impressed by the
splendid buildings in the capital, Vladimir, the state centre, and the fortress
in Bogoliubovo. Prince Andrey met with a tragic end as the result of a boyars'
plot. After some bitter fighting his younger brother Vsevolod came to the
throne. During this period the principality reached its height. After the
death of Prince Vsevolod the Big Nest its might.declined, but building went on
in the various towns and Vsevolod's sons erected the cathedrals In Suzdal and
Yuriev-Polskoy.
In 1238 the Mongols invaded Russia disrupting its economic and cultural
development for many a long year. One can trace almost the whole history of
early Russian architecture through the many fine churches and palaces of the
Vladimir-Suzdalian principality.
In this article we shall try to help the reader understand the development
of the Vladimir-Suzdalian school to architecture, a most Important branch of
early Russian architecture as a whole. The illustrations in this album cover a
broader area, however, extending beyond the stylistic and temporal limits of
the Vladimir-Suzdalian school and showing practically all the important old
buildings in Vladimir, Suzdal,
Yurlev-Polskoy and the surrounding area. They also Include the now extant early frescoes
which give one a more vivid picture of the churches and their Interiors.
The first of the Vladimir-Suzdalian monuments is the splendid cathedral
in Kideksha, the residence of Prince Yury Dolgoruky, Just outside Suzdal, This
white-stone church, dedicated to the canonized Russian princes Boris and Gleb,
was erected tn the middle of the twelfth century on the high bank of the River
Nerl. Originally it was surrounded by palace buildings and a moat. Looking at
It from the opposite bank in the evening, when the outlines are particularly
vivid, you can see the clear-cut cube of the main body (which used to have a
powerful drum and a huge helmet-shaped dome, later replaced by a smaller one)
and the semicircular apses.
One's attention is focused on the main body. The few architectural
details on the exterior merely enhance the overall impression and confirm the
building's logic. Everything is structurally right: the drum rests on vaults
and the walls originally terminated in the arched vaulting (the vaulted roof
was later replaced by a hipped one). The vaults In their turn were supported by
four powerful cruciform pillars, and the rest of the thrust was transferred to
the pilaster strips on the walls. The choir gallery, which was reserved for the
prince, his family and retinue during services and possibly during sieges as
well, is indicated on the exterior by a band of blind arcading, above which the
walls become thinner. The details help to explain the building's structure.
Lancet windows and portals in the form of simple recessed niches add to the
cathedral's austere appearance.
The buildings belonging to Andrey Bogoliubsky's reign are quite different.
All the prince's efforts were directed towards making his principality strong
and great, adorning the capital of Vladimir which was aspiring to be the
political centre of feudal Russia, and fortifying his residence at Bogollubovo.
The erection of magnificent edifices was one of Prince Andrey's most important
activities, and the chronicler compares It to the building done by Solomon,
qplltng Andrey "a second Solomon the Wise". As they sailed up to
Vladimir visitors from the Oka and Volga and envoys from the distant lands of
the Orient wese to see and take note of the splendor of the powerful
principality.
The white-stone Cathedral of the Dormition was erected on the high bank
of theRlier Klyazma in Vladimir. The speed of Its construction shows that it
was a matter of great political importance which would brook no delay. Like
Yury Dolgoruky's cathedral in Kideksha It had a single dome and four pillars.
Different ideas had produced a different image, however. Unlike Its modest
predecessor, the Cathedral of the Dormition was most magnificent. The
exterior was decorated
with sculptures and frescoes.
