Cathedral of Saint Demetrius, Vladimir, Russia

The Cathedral of St Demetrius (1194-97) is a royal church, built to the order of Grand Prince Vsevolod III. It is cubic in form, with three internal naves and a helmet dome. The cathedral is one-domed and four-pillared. Originally it was surrounded by galleries with towers that connected it to the prince's palace. They were demolished during the restoration in the 19th century.

The church is famous for its white-stone carvings - its walls are decorated with ca. 600 reliefs, depicting saints, mythical and real animals. Most of the reliefs are preserved in their original form, some have been replaced during the restoration of the 19th century. Out of the internal decoration a few fragments of frescoes of the 12th century have survived, particularly fragments of the Last Judgement composition. Currently, the cathedral is a part of the Vladimir-Suzdal open-air museum.

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User Reviews

Oleg Naumov (3 years ago)
Saint Dmitry of Thessaloniki Cathedral was founded in 1191 by Grand Duke Vsevolod III of Vladimir, Suzdal and Kiev (1154-1212). Construction was accomplished in 1197. There are some frescoes painted in XII century still inside. Visitors are allowed to take non commercial photo without flash light and tripod.

Sauryadeep Pal (4 years ago)
A beautifully constructed cathedral just beside the iconic Assumption Church. Worth a visit simply because of the views from the cathedral grounds.

Konstantin B (4 years ago)
Old, authentic, unparallel example of old bysantium architecture style. Awesome experience.

Elena Kurilenko (4 years ago)
Must-visit in Vladimir.

Francesco Fantoni (4 years ago)
Patrimonio Unesco, la Cattedrale è posizionata su un'altura, nel pieno centro di Vladimir, e dalla quale con uno sguardo si domina tutta la vallata circostante. Costruita in pietra bianca, è tipica architettura russa, molto scenografica. L'interno funge da museo che è possibile visitare pagando un modesto biglietto.

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