Golden Ring of Russia

"The Golden Ring of Russia" is a group of ancient Russian cities formerly ancient kingdoms , northeast of Moscow that formed the political, military and cultural heart of Russia as they fought again the Mongols protecting the way to the kingdom of Moscow.

The historical and cultural importance of the cities and the location in a ring-like fashion explains the name of the chain. It is now the most popular tourist route in the Russian provinces, the collection of unique Russian historical and architectural monuments and the treasure of Russian ancient cultural life.

The Golden Ring of Russia includes the cities of Moscow, Vladimir, Ivanovo, Yaroslav and Tver regions, yet the main cities are the 8 ones: Sergiev Posad, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Rostov, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Ivanovo, Suzdal and Vladimir.

Sergiyev Posad

Sergiyev Posad is usually the first stop on The Golden Ring tours. The city grew in the 15th century around Holy Trinity Lavra or Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra (Trinity-Sergius Monastery), the most important monastery in Russia, founded in 1345 by St. Sergius of Radonezh a highly revered monk and the patron saint of Russia. Sergiyev Posad is a small industrial and agricultural city. During the Soviet times it was named Zagorsk in memory of the revolutionary Vladimir Zagorsky. For a long time, Serghiyev Posad was considered the country's spiritual centre, or "the Russian Vatican." One may visit the friary, the seminary, and the art museum recounting the history of Russian Orthodoxy in the monastery complex.

The city of Pereslavl-Zalessky is located halfway between Moscow and Yaroslavl on southeastern shore of the Lake Pleshcheyevo. Pereslavl means "that who adopted fame". The second part of the name - Zalessky - means "situated behind the forest" as the city was isolated from Kiev and other southern towns by the forest. Pereslavl-Zalessky was founded in 1152 by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky as a fortress which could stand the atatcks of the invaders. The city was fortified with a "rampart", example of ancient Russian fortification works which is a famous tourist attraction nowadays and preserved on a good condition.

Pereslavl-Zalessky is a city where most famous military leader, Duke Alexander Nevsky was born and a place where the first Russian flotilia was built by Peter the Great. It is now the subject of the display in Botik Estate Museum. A famous Blue Stone, of supposedly space origin and credited for a healing power is also one of the tourist attractions of Pereslavl-Zalessky. One of the oldest survived masterpieces by Russian masters white-stone Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Saviour (1157), The ensembles of four monasteries - the St.Theodor Monastery, the Monastery of St.Nikita, the Trinity-St.Daniil Monastery, and the Goritsky Monastery of Dormition located in Pereslavl-Zalessky are the part of Russian cultural heritage.

Rostov Velikiy

Rostov Velikiy (Rostov the Great) is known since the 9th century. Rostov is located on the shores of Lake Nero in Yaroslavl Oblast, 200 km to the north east of Moscow. Rostov was capital city of one of the most prominent Russian principalities before joining Moscow in the 15th century and later became a religious center for people arriving from Moscow. The Rostov Kremlin, which is one of the most impressive monuments of the Golden Ring, was built in the 17th century as the Metropolitan's residence and is now a museum exhibiting the icons of the 15-17th centuries, and the famous Rostov enamels.

Rostov main sights include Assumption Cathedral, erected, the mid-16th Century with its largets and most famous in Russia bells, Savior Church-na-Senyak, the Church of St. Gregory, and the churches of St. John the Apostle and of the Resurrection of Christ, Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery.

Yaroslavl

Yaroslavl is an ancient town northwest to Moscow, founded as a fortress by Prince Yaroslav the Wise in 1010. The favourable location along the Volga trade route made Yaroslav the capital of the independent feudal Yaroslavl principality which later, in the 15th century merged with the Moscow state. During the 17th century Yaroslavl became a port of entry into Russia, and the city advanced to the third place after Moscow and Kazan as a center of trade. It retained the importance to the 18th century. Fyodor Volkov, founder of the 1st Russian theater in Yaroslavl in 1750.

Today Yaroslavl is the biggest along the Golden Ring, the administrative center of Yaroslavl Oblast. It is an important transport junction, hosts river port and airport, educational and sports canter that managed to preserver the ancient spirit and architecture. The visitors would admire white-stone Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery, Church of the Apparition of Christ rises, The Demidovsky Pillar, a memorial to Pavel Grigoryevich Demidov - founder of the Yaroslavl Demidov School of Higher Sciences, the curch of St. Nicholas Nadein and Elijah the Prophet with some of the Golden Ring's most impressive frescoes.

Kostroma

Kostroma is a town, located to the north-east of Moscow on the banks of the Volga. It has a port. It was founded by Yuri Dolgoruky in the 12th century to protect the approach to the Rostov-Suzdlian principality. The town survived the devastating fire in the 15th century and was rebuilt. It was a centre of the events of national importance, a birthplace of the Romanov Dynasty, as in 1613, Mikhail Romanov became the Tzar of Russia in Ipatiev monastery in Kostroma. Kostroma has preserved its unique image of a Russian city. It is also famous for its Fire-Watch Tower (the symbol of the town) and ancient churches like the Church of the Resurrection with the 16th century iconostasis.

Ivanovo

Ivanovo is an industrial city, a textile capital of Russia. It was founded on the 16th century as a peasants and a craftsmen settlement The city attractions include wooden Assumption Church and Shudrov Tent, a preserved example of industrial design, Art Museum with old Russian icons and Palekh miniature paintings on exhibit.

Suzdal

Suzdal is one of the oldest cities of Russia, it stands along the banks of the Kamenka River which was navigable 300-400 years ago. Suzdal used to be the capital of several Russian principalities and after loosing its polictical importance became a religious center with numerous monasteries curches, many built of White stone, which make the elegant outlook of the contemporary city. Nowadays the city is an important centre of mass tourism, international tourists' attraction and preserved treasure of early Russian art and architecture. The town has almost 200 architectural monuments of the last millennium and a plenty of craft shops of traditional handiwork. The main sights are the The Suzdal Kremlin, Wooden Church of Saint Nicholas, Convent of the Intercession, St John the Baptist Church, Transfiguration Cathedral and others.

Vladimir

Founded in the 11th century by the Russian Prince Vladimir Monomakh Vladimir is the best-preserved city of other cities of the Golden Ring. The city enjoyed the prosperity and growth during the reign of Prince Andrey Bogolubsky in the 12th century and was the center of architecture, icon-painting and crafts and one of the medieval capitals of Russia. During the Mongol invasion in the 13th century it was totally destroyed and never fully recovered from. Nowadays Vladimir is a popular tourist destination, it is located on the Klyazma River, 200 kilometers to the east of Moscow. The monuments of medieval architecture, preserved in Vladimr were inscribed by UNESCO on the World Heritage List. They are five-domed Assumption Cathedral, painted by the great Andrei Rublev and Daniil Chyorny, cathedral of St. Demetrius, The Golden Gate, that used to be the tower of the city's gate.

Golden Ring, Russia The Golden Ring, Russia travel guide

Russia city maps. - Printable map of Russia and Russian cities makes .

Old Russian cities photo album

Hero Cities of the Great Patriotic War

The Golden Ring of Russia- Cities of Golden Ring of Russia.