Cathedral of Saint Demetrius

For the cathedral in Romania, see Cathedral of Saint Demetrius, Craiova.

File:Saint Dmitry Cathedral in Vladimir.jpg

Cathedral of Saint Demetrius

The Cathedral of Saint Demetrius (Russian Дмитриевский собор) is a cathedral in the ancient Russian city of Vladimir. It was finished in 1191 during the reign of the Grand Prince Vsevolod the Big Nest of Vladimir-Suzdal to the honour of Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki. Being an important component of the White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal, the cathedral belongs to the World Heritage of UNESCO.

Architecture

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.

External links

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