No wonder Prince Andrew was called Bogolyubsky. He loved to build temples and open monasteries. So in such a city, Vladimir, by his will, a majestic cathedral was built, which was dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin.
The church was laid in 1158, after 2 years the construction was completed, and then almost a year the temple was painted and decorated. Scientists tend to think that Russian architects built the church, and masters “from all over the earth” participated in the decoration of the temple. The fact is that the carving of the external walls used classical European techniques, but the architecture of the temple was purely Russian.
Unfortunately, the beautiful temple was badly damaged by a fire in 1185. For its restoration took another prince, Vsevolod the Big Nest.
He rebuilt the temple. It was greatly expanded, using old walls as arches and transitions. The new cathedral was revived with reliefs, gilded the domes, covered the roof with copper. The chronicler proudly noted that “the Germans” did not call anyone, everyone did “their people”.
During the Tatar-Mongol invasion, in 1238, the princely family, metropolitan, clergy were locked in the temple. The Mongols set fire to the cathedral, all the people died. They were later canonized as martyrs of Vladimir.
By the 15th century, the temple was restored and even decorated. Danila Cherny and Andrei Rublev were invited to paint the walls. Fragments of frescoes are preserved in the altar part and on the southern wall.
In the 18th century, the cathedral was renewed again, by personal order of Catherine II. It was then that the old, ruble, iconostasis was replaced by a new, baroque. Since then, the building was constantly rebuilt, extensions were made, the roof was blocked, the windows were expanded. In 1862, near the church.
They built a bell tower.
In the late 19th century, the first restoration was carried out. Remove the extensions, returned the windows original appearance. Onion heads were replaced with helmet-shaped ones. During the work, Rublev’s frescoes were discovered.
In the 20th century a major restoration was carried out in the 70-80s. The main task of the restorers was to strengthen the frescoes, clean the stone from layers, gild the domes.
Currently, the cathedral is part of the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Reserve, but at the same time it is the main cathedral of the Vladimir diocese.
Pilgrims strive to get here to worship the famous icon of the Vladimir Mother of God, the icons of Andrei Bogolyubsky, Prince Vladimir and the Apostle Simon.
In the galleries of the cathedral are buried representatives of the Vladimir princely house, the clergy. The most famous burials belong to Andrei Bogolyubsky and Vsevolod Big Nest.
Charitable Foundation Holy Land
Russian Temples and Monasteries
