Suzdal

Suzdal is located on the river Kamenka 35 km north of Vladimir. It was first mentioned in the chronicles due to an uprising there in 1024, but was only a small settlement until the mid-11th century. The name shows its Fino-Ugric origin. Vladimir Monomakh’s son, Prince Yury Dolgoruky, made Suzdal his capital in 1125. But he built a new palace and fortress at Kideksha, 5 km from Suzdal, where the church of St Boris and Gleb still stands. After he died, Andrey Bogoliubsky moved the capital to Vladimir to escape the rebellious boyars. This increased the rivalry between the two towns. Suzdal was destroyed along with the other main Russian towns in 1238 by the Mongol invaders. By 1328 the rebuilt city was strong enough to lead in the struggle against the rising power of Moscow Finally Grand-Prince Vasiliy annexed it to Moscow. The city remained a religious center. During this period there were many monasteries founded. Among them were the Deposition of the Robe, the Holy Trinity, St Alexander, the Intercession of the Virgin (1364) and St Basil. In the late 17th and 18th centuries, wealthy merchants paid for 30 gorgeous little churches, which still adorn the town.