Dmitrievsky Cathedral of Vladimir

In the twelfth century, when Vladimir the Suzdal principality was ruled by the great Prince Vladimir of Vsevolod, the principality was at the height of its development. At this time, the Grand Duke erects a cathedral for the glorification of the Vladimir land. The greatest monument of architecture, history and culture Dmitrievsky Cathedral is the true value not only of the city of Vladimir, Russia, this monument is the heritage of mankind.

Unfortunately, the ancient chronicles did not preserve the exact date of the construction of the cathedral. Scientists believe that the cathedral was built in the period from 1194 to 1997. His Russian masters built it. In 1237 the cathedral was plundered and damaged by the Tatars, after which he burned several times. In 1839, according to the greatest command of Nicholas I, "restoration works" were held in the cathedral in order to give the church a pristine appearance. As a result of this kind of work, the Cathedral of Dmitriev was mutilated to such an extent that it did not resemble the original version.

The temple was conceived as a church in the palace of Prince Vsevolod. At the same time, several outstanding buildings were built in Vladimir, but among them Dmitrievsky Cathedral occupies a central and honorable place. Experts consider it to be a real masterpiece.

Dmitrievsky Cathedral in Vladimir - the embodiment of harmony and action. Ideal proportions and nobility of forms make it completely unique. He is beautiful. Each corner of it is permeated with the spirit of solemnity. All the achievements of Russian masters in the technique of engraving, enamel, scan and, most importantly, wooden carving found their place in the motives of the cathedral. Its walls are decorated with carvings of white stone, so it is often called a stone poem, a stone carpet, a precious casket.

The authors of lace carving are carvers from Vladimir, but next to them worked Bulgarians and Serbs, so in white-stone carving many motifs that were used throughout Europe. 566 carved stones on the facade of the temple represent the original picture of the world, in which the images of Christianity are intertwined with images of folk mythology. The origins of Vladimir's temple carving were tried in Kiev, Galich, and searches led researchers to many countries around the world.

On the facade, Dmitrievsky Cathedral has several large compositions. On the south - "Ascension of Alexander the Great". It would seem a somewhat unusual story for a Christian cathedral, but historians claim that in the Middle Ages this story was very popular not only in Russia, but throughout Europe.

The northern facade is decorated with a composition depicting the scene from the family life of Prince Vsevolod. On this relief Prince Vsevolod sits on the throne with a newborn son in his arms, surrounded by other sons. He was the happy father of twelve children.

The main figure in the decoration of Dmitrievsky Cathedral is King David, whose image is located in the center of all three facades.

The interior walls of the cathedral were painted by masters from Greece, whom the Grand Duke had invited. The Greeks created such frescoes that when you look at them, it's breathtaking. Dmitrievsky Cathedral keeps an episode from the "Last Judgment". Historians believe that Russian and Greek masters worked on the composition.

A real work of art scholars of the whole world believe Dmitrievsky Cathedral. Vladimir, in which the monument is located, is rich in historical sights, but Prince Vsevolod's cathedral is its snow-white pearl.