Pereslavl-Zalessky is one of the famous cities in the so-called golden ring northeast of Moscow. The city’s history dates to 1152, when Yuri Dolgoruky founded a fortress here. The city was developed very typical of the period with a central Kremlin, which is a fortified city with walls or ramparts and defense towers. In 1176, Pereslavl-Zalessky became the residence of its own princes, and under Yaroslav II, who was the father of Alexander Nevsky, the principality also included Tver and Dimitrov, making Pereslavl-Zalessky one of the most important cities in the region.

The ruling dynasty was without heirs from 1302, and therefore battles for Pereslavl-Zalessky arose between Moscow and Tver, while the Golden Horde of the Mongols considered the city to belong to Vladimir, who, together with Pereslavl-Zalessky, became subject to the Grand Duchy of Moscow in 1375. From then on the city was ruled by a governor. Pereslavl-Zalessky developed as a city on the trade route between Moscow and the port city of Arkhangelsk, but time also saw repeated attacks from Tatars and several expansions of the city’s fortifications. In the 16th century, building activity increased with donations from, among others, Ivan IV, while part of Pereslavl-Zalesskij was destroyed by invading Polish-Lithuanian troops in 1608.

After the Polish-Lithuanian armies were repulsed, Pereslavl-Zalessky had to be partially rebuilt, and in the 1680s Peter the Great established a training fleet in Lake Pleshtjeevo. The smaller warships are considered one of the first steps before the tsar’s establishment of the Russian navy. Throughout the 18th century, the city changed government several times, and Pereslavl-Zalessky’s military importance was reduced. Industrialization took over, and not least textile factories were established in the city. By the end of the 19th century, Pereslavl-Zalessky had just over 10,000 inhabitants, and that number increased to around 40,000 during the Soviet era in the following century.

Today, Pereslavl-Zalessky is a city with many sights from its long history. Among other things, you can see the preserved earth ramparts, which were part of the city’s historic Kremlin. In the center you can also see the Cathedral of the Annunciation of Christ, which is famous because the city boy Alexander Nevsky was baptized here. The foundation stone of the cathedral was laid in 1152, which was the same year as the establishment of the city’s Kremlin. At the cathedral you can see a monument to Alexander Nevsky, who was born in Pereslavl-Zalessky in 1220, and Alexander Nevsky Church and Vladimir Church from the 18th century.

In Pereslavl-Zalessky you can also see five monasteries, of which Goritsky Monastery south of the center is the most famous and worth seeing. It was founded in the early 14th century during the reign of Ivan I. Throughout history, the monastery has been destroyed several times, and the large current facility dates from the 1600s and 1700s, and until 1788 it was the residence of the city’s bishop. Today, the complex is set up as a museum, and of the buildings you can see, among other things, the Ascension Cathedral, Holy Trinity Church, All Saints Church, a bell tower, a gate church and the preserved walls of the monastery.

The city’s four other monasteries are also worth seeing and all offer beautiful and exciting history and architecture. The Nikita Monk Monastery is located in the northern part of the city, while the Feodorovsky Nunnery, Nikolaj Monastery and Danilov Trinity Monastery are all south of the center. You can also go on other nice walks in the city, where the route along the Kremlin ramparts is one option and the promenade by Lake Pleshtjeevo is another. There are also many beautiful churches that you can see along the way, and you can also go a little to the southwest, where the Botik Peter I museum displays one of Peter the Great’s boats, and where you can learn more about the local flotilla and see the Tsar family’s white mansion.