Dormition Cathedral, Vladimir

Through the thirteenth century the Dormition Cathedral in Vladimir was regarded as the mother church of Russia, and the model on which the Moscow Kremlin's own Dormition Cathedral was later built. Grand Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, who made Vladimir his capital, commissioned it in 1158 and dedicated it to the Mother of God, whom he promoted as the protector of his lands. The first church was built in 1158–60 with six pillars and five domes, and in 1185–89, under Vsevolod the Big Nest, it was substantially enlarged to match the growing prestige of Vladimir. At 1,178 square metres it remained the largest church in Russia for centuries.

The cathedral is built of the white stone that defines the medieval architecture of Vladimir and Suzdal, and its outer walls are covered with elaborate carving. The cathedral survived the Mongol capture of Vladimir in 1238, although much of the city burned. Andrei, Vsevolod and other rulers of the principality were buried inside.

Its interior holds one of the great treasures of Russian painting. In 1408 the icon painters Andrei Rublev and Daniil Chyorny repainted the cathedral, and more than 300 square metres of their frescoes survive; nowhere else does their wall painting survive on such a scale. At the centre of the ensemble is the Last Judgement, rendered not as a scene of terror but with a calm, luminous hope. A tall bell tower, combining Russian, Gothic and Neoclassical elements, was added beside the cathedral in 1810.

The cathedral is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal, together with the Golden Gate in the same city and the monuments of nearby Suzdal. It is a working Russian Orthodox church.

Getting there

The cathedral is in the historic centre of Vladimir. The nearest airport is Ivanovo South Airport (IWA), about 96 km away, but Vladimir's own airport has no regular passenger flights and the practical gateway is Moscow. Fast trains from Moscow's Kursky station reach Vladimir in about 1 hour 45 minutes; slower suburban trains take 2½ to 3 hours. The railway and bus stations are next to each other, within walking distance of the historic centre.