Eng

Rus
Open your Vladimir

What to see in Vladimir

The Church of the Saints Boris and Gleb

The Church of the Saints Boris and Gleb

The Church in the settlement of Kideksha, which is not far from Suzdal, probably, will not impress at the first glance - small, single-domed, made of white stone. It is necessary just to get acquainted closer with it, to find out what is behind the nondescript facade. There is hiding a church that is almost 900 years old. As the legend says, at the place where stood an ancient village met the two brothers – Prince Boris of Rostov and Prince Gleb of Murom, the same brothers that were murdered by Svyatopolk the damned and canonized by the Church. The cult of Boris and Gleb spread in Russia quite quickly, and connected with the story of fratricide Kideksha turned into a Holy place. Here in memory of the Holy brothers was erected one of the first in Vladimir-Suzdal land white-stone temple. During one year – 1152, simultaneously with the Church in Kideksha 4 white-stone temples were erected, however, remained only 2 of them: the second one is Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral – located in Pereslavl-Zalessky. The course on building of white stone, which, by the way, wasn't enough in Vladimir land, and it was transported from nearby quarries near Moscow, symbolizing Imperial power, first in Russia, took a great Prince Yury Dolgoruky. His son, Andrey Bogolyubsky, preached the same ideology, building Vladimir and his residence in Bogolyubo.

There is a theory that the Church of Boris and Gleb was the center of princely court that Yuri Dolgoruky built in Kideksha – on a strategically important way at the confluence of the Kamenka and the Nerl rivers. Later absolutely would do the same and Prince Andrey when he would be building the Bogolyubovo fortress. Only from the courtyard in Kideksha of the Prince Yuri in this case, still remained less than from the courtyard of the Prince Andrey – only the Church itself.

According to another version of the Church of Boris and Gleb original status, Kideksha by that time was already well fortified fortress and Borisoglebovskiy temple was built as the town's main Church.

The Church partially preserved its original interior. In the course of restoration works in 1947 and in 2004 were cleared the temple frescoes, painted approximately in 1180-ies.

Currently, the Church of the Saints Boris and Gleb belongs to the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-reserve. Listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO.
To get there: by private transport from Vladimir on the road M7 in the direction of Suzdal (~37 km).

 

 

CONTACT INFORMATION:

The settlement of Kideksha, Suzdal district, Vladimir region, Russia.

http://www.vladmuseum.ru/

On map:

2015-2019 © «Tourist information Department» / All rights reserved.