Dmitrievsky Cathedral

About museum

In 1197 Grand Prince Vsevolod the Big Nest (his baptismal name was Dmitry) commissioned the building of a palace church for himself in Vladimir. The author of The Tale of Igor's Campaign addressed this ruler: "Your warriors can splash the Volga with oars, and scoop the Don with helmets." The church was to be "ornately decorated," and the craftsmen did everything according to Vsevolod's instructions. On the cathedral's walls one can see more than 1,000 carved reliefs: Christ, David, Hercules, Alexander the Great, the Russian saints Boris and Gleb, angels, birds, and beasts. Visitors to the church can take an audiovisual tour with dynamic lighting effects, view replicas of the Dmitrievsky Cathedral's relics, and also see a grand four-meter cross removed from the cathedral's dome. This monument is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.