Suzdal is one of the brightest, original and, of course, famous cities of the Golden Ring. All foreign tourists tend to get on an excursion here, since this is one of the few places in Russia (except for St. Petersburg and Moscow), about which American, Chinese and European travelers know at least something.
The infrastructure of Suzdal is developed at the most advanced level. Guests are greeted by atmospheric boutique hotels, traditional taverns of Russian cuisine, a variety of entertainment such as riding a troika, folk festivals and folklore festivals. The architectural and historical heritage of the city consists of dozens of ancient temples and monasteries. Religious buildings dominate civil buildings - literally on every corner you can see some kind of church.
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What to see and where to go in Suzdal?
The most interesting and beautiful places for walking. Photos and a short description.
Suzdal Kremlin
The core of Suzdal and its most ancient part, which supposedly has existed since the X century. In the XI-XII centuries, a fortress was erected here with an earthen rampart and walls about 1.5 km long. Inside were the princely court and the episcopal residence. The wooden architectural complex existed until the beginning of the 18th century, in 1719 all buildings were burnt down. The Nativity Cathedral, Nikolskaya Church and the Bishops' Chambers have survived to this day.
Theotokos-Nativity Cathedral
Temple of the XII century, an exceptional monument of Russian architecture, erected during the reign of Vladimir Monomakh. It was rebuilt twice, the last after the Tatars burned Suzdal in the 1440s. Because of this, different parts of the cathedral belong to different centuries: the lower - to the XIII, the upper - to the XVI, the interior wall painting - to the XIII-XVII centuries. The southern and western gates of the building are a true masterpiece of the applied art of Russia during the Middle Ages.
Wooden Nikolskaya Church
The temple stands behind the Bishops' Chambers on the territory of the Suzdal Kremlin. Initially, the church was built in 1766 in the village of Glotovo, Yuryevo-Polsky district and moved to Suzdal in 1960 for better preservation of this architectural object. The building consists of two log cabins, fixed on the basement. The gable gabled roof is covered with planks, on top there is a dome with a cross.
Assumption Church
A small church built in the 17th century in the Naryshkin Baroque style, presumably on the site of an older wooden building. Until 1917, the architectural ensemble included a belfry and two additional chapels, which were later destroyed. In 1958, the building was restored. In 2015, the relics of Arseny of Suzdalsky were placed in the temple, who inspired Prince Pozharsky to march to Moscow during the Time of Troubles.
Nativity of Christ and Nikolskaya churches
Nikolsky summer temple is the first religious building, erected after the fire in 1719. It consists of a quadrangle and an adjacent semicircular apse on one side and a hipped belfry on the other. The warm Nativity of Christ Church was built at the end of the 18th century. With its appearance, it resembles an ordinary stone house, if not for the dome with a cross crowning the roof.
Earthen shafts of the Suzdal Kremlin
In ancient times, earthen ramparts were included in the system of defensive fortifications of the Suzdal Kremlin. Nowadays, they are ordinary mounds overgrown with grass, which are of great historical value, although they do not look like something special in appearance. The ramparts were poured by order of Prince Vladimir Monomakh in the 11th century for additional protection of the settlement from frequent raids from the Kazan Khanate.
Monastery of Saint Euthymius
Monastery, formed in the middle of the 14th century as a defensive fortress. The very first buildings of the architectural ensemble were made of wood; they have not survived to our time. The modern look of the complex took shape in the 16th-17th centuries. Boyars, princes and tsars - Vasily III, Ivan the Terrible donated large sums to the construction of stone churches. Since 1968 a museum has been located in the buildings of the monastery.
Walls and towers of the Spaso-Evfimievsky monastery
The walls and towers of the monastery are best viewed from the side of the Kamenka River. They also run along Lenin and Spasskaya streets. It will take time to get around them around the perimeter. These structures are a symbol of Suzdal, as they immediately catch the eye of travelers passing through the historic center of the city. The mighty walls could have withstood any siege, but historically they have never been stormed.
Monastery of the Robe
One of the most ancient monasteries in Russia, formed at the beginning of the XIII century. The first stone buildings appeared only after 3 centuries, the earlier wooden ones have not survived to this day. The architectural ensemble consists of the three-domed Cathedral of the Robe of the mid-16th century, the two-hipped Holy Gates of the 17th century, the Sretenskaya refectory church and the Venerable bell tower of the 19th century.
Vasilievsky monastery
The monastery stands practically on the outskirts of Suzdal. It was founded in the 13th century and at that time was located on the road to Kideksha. At first, the building performed defensive functions, then it was adapted for the life of the monastic community. Initially, the monastery was male, since 1916 - female. In the 1920s, the institution was closed, warehouses were placed on its territory. Since the 1990s, part of the monastery again belongs to the Russian Orthodox Church.
Alexander monastery
According to legend, the monastery was founded by Prince Alexander Nevsky in 1240. Initially, it was female - the inhabitants settled here who were left orphans and widows after the invasions of the Kazan Tatars. In 1764, the monastery was abolished by order of Catherine II, the main cathedral was turned into a parish one. Monastic life was revived only in 2006, the sisters were replaced by male monks.
Pokrovsky monastery
The Intercession Monastery appeared in the XIV century in the northern part of Suzdal. It constantly developed and grew largely due to the fact that representatives of noble families came here for tonsure (of course, donating large sums of money beforehand). By the 17th century, the monastery had become one of the largest in the territory of Vladimir-Suzdal Rus. Its architectural ensemble was formed by the 16th century.
Peter and Paul and Nikolskaya churches
The Peter and Paul Church was erected in 1694 next to the Intercession Monastery. In architectural terms, it represents two fours, erected on top of each other, and crowned with five domes. In 1712, at the expense of Evdokia Lopukhina, the ex-wife of Peter the Great, the winter St. Nicholas Church was built next to him, which is distinguished by a rather modest appearance. To date, both temples have returned to their original appearance.
Elias Church
The temple is located on one of the steep bends of the Kamenka River. The stone building was erected in 1744; earlier it was replaced by a wooden building, transferred from another part of the posad. The church was badly damaged in the 20th century, the bell tower and the refectory were demolished altogether. Recovery began in the 1970s but ended only in the 2000s. During this time, it was possible to completely recreate the original appearance of the structure.
Church of Boris and Gleb in Kideksha
An ancient temple, a valuable and rare monument of church architecture of the pre-Mongol era. It was erected in the middle of the 12th century during the reign of Yuri Dolgorukov. In the XVI-XVII centuries, the church was significantly rebuilt, completely dismantling some of the walls, but, nevertheless, retaining many of the original elements.The building has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Nowadays, a museum is located on its territory.
Shopping arcade
The Empire style seating yard, built at the beginning of the 19th century. It was designed for 100 merchant shops, which later turned into full-fledged stores. The complex is the most impressive monument of civil architecture in Suzdal. It is the center of trade and tourist life, as tourists often stop here to buy souvenirs, taste mead or simply stroll along the long galleries.
Resurrection and Kazan churches
Not far from the main city square is the Resurrection Church, built of stone in 1720 (originally it was wooden). The building is a two-pillar cube-shaped temple, its base is a powerful quadrangle, decorated with corner pilasters. The Kazan Church was built nearby in 1739, together with Voznesenka it formed a single architectural ensemble.
Tsarekonstantinovskaya and Sorrowful churches
The first mention of the Tsarekonstantinovsky temple dates back to the beginning of the 17th century. A century later, it was rebuilt from stone, and it became the last five-domed religious building in Suzdal. The Winter Sorrowful Church, in addition to the Tsarekonstantinovskaya Church, appeared in the middle of the 18th century. The architecture of its bell tower is considered quite familiar to Suzdal - the belfry is made in the form of a concave tent.
Entry-Jerusalem and Pyatnitskaya churches
Another pair complex consisting of two churches. It should be noted that the construction of two churches side by side - summer and winter - was a very widespread practice in Suzdal. The appearance of the Entry into Jerusalem and Pyatnitskaya churches differs very significantly: one is made in the form of a classic four-piece, topped with five domes, the second has only one central dome-shaped structure, fixed on the roof in the form of a semicircle.
Kresto-Nikolskaya church
The temple is located in the northern part of the Gostiny Dvor. It was erected in 1770 in gratitude for getting rid of the terrible plague epidemic that raged in Suzdal in 1654-55. The building differs from other churches in the city in that if you look at it from opposite sides, it looks completely different. One gets the impression that you are looking at two different structures.
Lazarevskaya and Antipievskaya churches
Both churches were erected one hundred years apart. According to the established tradition, one temple was cold (Lazarevsky), the other was warm, intended for services in winter and during the chilly off-season. The bell tower of the Antipievskaya Church has a very original appearance with a roof in the form of a concave tent and a bright exterior painting. It is believed to have been built earlier than the main building.
Church of Kosma and Damian on Yarunova Gora
Orthodox church of the 18th century, built on a low hill, on the banks of the Kamenka River. According to unconfirmed reports, earlier in its place there was a monastery of the same name, from which the only wooden church remained by the 17th century. The structure is located in a very picturesque place and looks spectacular against the background of a winding river bed. Until 1917, the territory was surrounded by a stone fence.
Smolensk and Simeonov churches
The Smolensk Church was built in 1706 near the corner of the monastery tower. The building is located on the road along which travelers get to Suzdal from Yaroslavl. 40 years later, the Simeon Church was built - a winter one. The bell tower in the classical style was added later, at the turn of the 19th century. Thus, the architectural ensemble does not look like a single concept and bears the features of different eras.
Kozmodemyanskaya and Holy Cross churches
Another ensemble of warm and cold temples, which is located at the maximum distance from the center. Perhaps that is why its architecture looks rather laconic, and the restoration has not yet been completed. The buildings were built in the 17th-18th centuries, they are visible from the side of the ring road that bends around Suzdal (if you go from Vladimir and Ivanovo to Moscow or in the opposite direction).
Museum of Wooden Architecture
An open-air museum complex, which contains monuments of wooden architecture of the 17th-19th centuries. On its territory you can see the huts of a peasant and a wealthy merchant, as well as churches built without the use of nails. In addition to residential buildings and temples, various outbuildings are presented: barns, mills, sheds, wells. The museum hosts a summer cucumber festival.
"Shchurovo settlement"
A museum located within the HELIOPARK Suzdal hotel complex, which was created on the basis of the scenery for the film "Tsar" by P. Lungin. It is a reconstruction of a 10th century Slavic settlement. A variety of interactive programs are provided for visitors. Here you can learn archery, ride a horse, do garden work or even milk a cow.
The Wax Museum
The Suzdal Wax Museum grew out of a small exhibition that took place in the 1990s in Sokolniki Park. For quite a long time, the exposition traveled all over the world and Russia, as a result, it settled in Suzdal. At the same time, it is developing, new exhibits continue to be produced. Most of the collection is personalities of Russian history: tsars, writers, politicians, military leaders.
Posad house
Until the 17th century, dwelling houses made of stone were a rarity in Russian cities, since wood was much cheaper, and forests were everywhere. Some especially wealthy citizens could still afford to build stone mansions. One of these structures in Suzdal is the Posad House, built by an unknown architect. In the 17th century, it was residential, then a tavern was opened on its territory. Since the 1970s, it has housed a museum.
Fire Tower
The tower was erected in the 1890s for the fire brigade, which had been working in the city since 1864. By the early 2000s, the tower was in a rather poor condition. In order to preserve the architectural monument and preserve its functionality, rather serious restoration work was carried out, restoring the original appearance of the tower according to old drawings and drawings.
Kamenka river
Kamenka is a tributary of the Nerl River. It is a small and not intended for navigation waterway about 50 km long, and at the same time it is very convenient for small river transport: boats, kayaks. It flows through Suzdal, many city attractions are located on its high banks, including churches, walls and towers of the Spaso-Evfimievsky Monastery.
