Suzdal is one of the Russian cities of culture in the so-called golden ring northeast of Moscow. Officially founded in 1024, the city grew so important that Yuri Dolgoruky made it the capital of the Principality of Rostov-Suzdal in 1125. However, the capital was moved to Vladimir in the newly established Vladimir-Suzdal in 1157, but Suzdal retained its position as an important trade center. Later, the principality was united with Nizhny Novgorod, before both were annexed by the growing Moscow in 1392. Suzdal experienced great growth in the 16th century, with Vasiliy III and Ivan IV investing in the construction of churches and monasteries in the city, increasing Suzdal’s religious influence in the country.

Over the following two centuries, wealthy merchants financed another 40 churches, and the number of churches per per capita exceeded most other cities. With the 19th century came industrialization in Russia, and the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway was decisive for the development of many cities. Suzdal failed to get the line built through the city, and instead traffic and economic growth went by rail to nearby Vladimir. Suzdal’s growth almost came to a standstill, and the town remained a time warp that was federally protected in 1967, allowing the old town to be preserved. For the same reasons, Suzdal only has about 10,000 inhabitants today, despite the many beautiful buildings.

Today, Suzdal is a city with many sights and short distances between them. In the city, you can visit the Suzdal Kremlin, which formed the fortified city core in Suzdal’s early history. Yuri Dolgoruky, the archbishop and other dignitaries from the church resided in the Kremlin, and the city’s most important buildings were located here. Today you can see the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Theotokos, which was built in 1222-1225. The cathedral is distinctive with its blue domes decorated with gold stars. You can also see a historical museum in the Suzdal Kremlin, where you can also see the 1.4-kilometer earthen rampart that surrounds the facility.

East of the Kremlin, the city of Suzdal arose as a small settlement that gradually grew larger. A short distance from the Kremlin is Torgovaya Ploshad, the city’s central square. On the square is the commercial building Gostinyj Dvor, which was built 1806-1811 in the Empire style. In the center of Gostinyj Dvor is a tower with a falcon, which was the coat of arms of the old princely city. In the middle of the square, you can visit the Church of the Resurrection, Voskresenskaya Tserkov, which was built as a summer church in 1720. Next to it is Kazanskaya Cherkov, which was built as a winter church in 1739. This follows the tradition of having both summer and winter churches.

Suzdal is a relatively small town, so from Torgovaya Ploshad you can easily stroll the streets and look at the many churches and monasteries in the town. One should go to the northern part of the city, where Saint Euthymius Saviour Monastery is located. The monastery is today a museum complex and an architectural ensemble that, together with the Suzdal Kremlin and other white monuments in Vladimir and Suzdal, is included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The Saviour Monastery was founded in 1352 and covers a large area, which lies behind walls and towers from the 17th century. There are several churches in the monastery, of which the beautifully decorated Annunciation Cathedral from the end of the 16th century is the main church.