After a decline in political significance, the town regained prominence as a religious center, with development projects funded byVasily III andIvan the Terrible in the 16th century. In the late 17th and 18th centuries, wealthy merchants funded the construction of 30 churches, many of which still stand today.[18]
In 1864, local merchants failed to convince the government to build theTrans-Siberian Railway through their town. Instead, it went through Vladimir, 35 km (22 mi) away.[8] In 1967, Suzdal earned afederally protected status, which officially limited development in the area.[18]
Today, the town serves as a tourist center, containing many examples of oldRussian architecture. Much of its rural infrastructure and partially unpaved streets have been preserved.[22]
The primary industry of Suzdal is tourism. Suzdal avoided theindustrialization of the Soviet era and thus 13th-19tharchitecture remained preserved. There are 305 monuments andlisted buildings in Suzdal, including 30 churches, 14bell towers, and 5 monasteries andconvents. 79 of them are federally protected buildings and 167 are regionally protected.[2]
In 1982, Suzdal became the first Russian town to receiveLa Pomme d'Or(Golden Apple) - a prize for excellence in the tourism industry, awarded annually by the World Federation of Travel Journalists and Writers (FIJET).[26]
TheKremlin is the oldest part of Suzdal, dating from the 10th century. It is a predecessor of theMoscow Kremlin. In the 12th century, it was the base of PrinceYury Dolgoruky, who ruled the northeastern part ofKievan Rus' and founded an outpost, which is nowMoscow.[8] Aposad (settlement) to the east became home to the secular population, such as shopkeepers and craftsmen, while theKremlin (fortress) proper was the home of the prince, the archbishop, and the high clergy. Within the Kremlin, theArchbishop’s Chambers house theSuzdal History Exhibition, which includes a visit to the 18th-century Cross Hall, which was used for receptions. More exhibits are provided in the 1635 Kremlin bell tower (Russian: Звонница) in the yard.
The 1.4-kilometre-long (0.9 mi) earthrampart of the Kremlin encloses a number of houses and churches, including theNativity of the Virgin Cathedral. The cathedral, characterized with gold and bluedomes, was constructed in 1222–1225 byYury II on the site of an earlier church built around 1102 byVladimir Monomakh. It was built of lighttufa withlimestones for details. In 1445 the cathedral collapsed and was rebuilt in 1528–1530 with the upper structure and drums being constructed of new brick.[27] The original 13th-century door from the cathedral is now on exhibition in the Archbishop's Chambers.
Saviour Monastery of St Euthymius, was founded in 1352 to the north of the town centre on the high bank of the Kamenka river. It was built under the order of the Suzdal-Nizhniy Novgorod prince Konstantin. The monastery was planned as a fortress and was originally enclosed by a wooden wall, later destroyed by thePoles. Today's reddish brick walls of the Suzdal monastery were erected over four years, from 1640 to 1644. The fortifications have 12 towers constructed to house artillery power. Later in 1766, withCatherine the Great's orders, the monastery became a prison, which had a reputation for severe punishment of prisoners. In 1905 the prison closed; however, it later served as a prison again during the Soviet Era.
Wooden Church of St. Nicholas (Souzdal)
The Wooden Church of St. Nicholas, originally built in Glotovo in 1766 and made entirely of wood, was moved to Suzdal in 1960 to become part of the Museum of Wooden Architecture and Peasant Life. The church is elevated off the ground about a story high from when it was moved across the country.[28]
St John the Baptist Church, built in 1720, at the same time as the Wooden Church of St. Nicholas. It was constructed with white plastered walls and wooden supports.
St Alexander Convent, built in 1240 by an unknown architect. The princesses of Suzdal, Mariya and Agrippina, were buried here in the 14th century.[29]
Intercession Convent [ru], founded in 1364. In its centre stands the Cathedral of the Intercession, an add-on built in 1518, financed by Moscow's KingVasili III. The interior of the cathedral is plain white stone, with no paintings nor stained glass. The church houses the burial vaults of 20 nuns of noble birth. An art museum containing works created in the 16th and 17th centuries is connected to the cathedral.[30]
^Всесоюзная перепись населения 1979 г. Национальный состав населения по регионам России [All Union Population Census of 1979. Ethnic composition of the population by regions of Russia](XLS).Всесоюзная перепись населения 1979 года [All-Union Population Census of 1979] (in Russian). 1979 – viaDemoscope Weekly (website of the Institute of Demographics of the State University—Higher School of Economics.
Brumfield, William (2009).Suzdal: Architectural Heritage in Photographs. Moscow: Tri Kvadrata.ISBN978-5-94607-118-5.
Администрация Владимирской области. Постановление №433 от 13 июня 2007 г. «О реестре административно-территориальных образований и единиц Владимирской области», в ред. Постановления №169 от 5 марта 2015 г. «О внесении изменения в Постановление Губернатора области от 13.06.2007 №433 "О реестре административно-территориальных образований и единиц Владимирской области"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Владимирские ведомости", №114, 20 июня 2007 г. (Administration of Vladimir Oblast. Resolution #433 of June 13, 2007On the Registry of the Administrative-Territorial Formations and Units of Vladimir Oblast, as amended by the Resolution #169 of March 5, 2015On Amending Resolution #433 of the Oblast Governor of June 13, 2007 "On the Registry of the Administrative-Territorial Formations and Units of Vladimir Oblast". Effective as of the day of the official publication.).
Законодательное Собрание Владимирской области. Закон №190-ОЗ от 26 ноября 2004 г. «О наделении Суздальского района и вновь образованных муниципальных образований, входящих в его состав, соответствующим статусом муниципальных образований и установлении их границ», в ред. Закона №90-ОЗ от 5 августа 2009 г. «О внесении изменений в Закон Владимирской области "О наделении Суздальского района и вновь образованных муниципальных образований, входящих в его состав, соответствующим статусом муниципальных образований и установлении их границ"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования (27 ноября 2004 г.). Опубликован: "Владимирские ведомости", №331, 27 ноября 2004 г. (Legislative Assembly of Vladimir Oblast. Law #190-OZ of November 26, 2004On Granting Suzdalsky District and the Newly Established Municipal Formations Comprising It an Appropriate Status of the Municipal Formations and on Establishing Their Borders, as amended by the Law #90-OZ of August 5, 2009On Amending the Law of Vladimir Oblast "On Granting Suzdalsky District and the Newly Established Municipal Formations Comprising It an Appropriate Status of the Municipal Formations and on Establishing Their Borders". Effective as of the day of the official publication (November 27, 2004).).
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