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An architectural marvel. Founded in 1364, the convent was built entirely of wood until the early 16 th century, when it drew the favor of Moscow’s Grand Prince Basil III. With his support, work ...
- 11th Century
- 12th Century
- 13th Century
- 14th Century
- 15th Century
- 16th Century
- 17th Century
- 18th Century
- 19th Century
- 20th Century
First Mention
The first mention of Suzdal in chronicles came in 1024 in relation to an uprising of Volkhvy (Slavic druids) in Suzdal lands in response to a crop failure and drought. Grand Prince Yaroslav the Wise was forced to intervene to end the rebellion. This date has since been used as the official date of foundation of Suzdal, although as Suzdal was already in existence in 1024 it must have been founded sometime earlier. Some historians claim there is an even older mention of the city, which would me...
Rostov-Suzdal Principality
In 1125 Prince Yuri Dolgoruky of Rostov moved his capital from Rostov Veliky to Suzdal and his principality became known as the Rostov-Suzdal Principality. During Yuri Dolgoruky's reign the defences of the Suzdal Kremlin were erected and the original version of the Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral was built within the kremlin. In 1157 the capital of the principality was once more moved, this time to Vladimir by Yuri Dolgoruky's son Andrey Bogolyubsky. The principality became known as the Vla...
Suzdal Principality
Invasion of Suzdal by the Mongol-Tatars as depicting in a hagiography of St Euthymius of Suzdal In 1238 Suzdal shared the fate of many other Russian cities when it was conquered and sacked by the Mongol-Tatars during their invasion of Rus. After the invasion, Grand Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich of Vladimir granted his brother Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich Suzdal as an appendage. In 1246 Svyatoslav himself became Grand Prince of Vladimir and the Suzdal Principality was re-incorporated. It was creat...
Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod Grand Principality
Vasili Andreevich was followed as prince of Suzdal by his son Aleksandr in 1309. Aleksandr Vasilievich became grand prince of Vladimir in 1328 although he remained based in Suzdal. When he died in 1331 Suzdal was inherited by his brother Konstantin Vasilievich whereas the Vladimir Grand Principality, including Nizhny Novgorod and Gorodets, was granted to Ivan Kalita of Moscow. In 1341 Konstantin Vasilievich of Suzdal was granted Nizhny Novgorod and Gorodets by Khan Uzhek upon the death of Iva...
St Euthymius of Suzdal
Icon depicting St Euthymius of Suzdal In 1352 the monk Yevfimi from Nizhny Novgorod was invited by Prince Boris Konstantinovich, son Grand Principality Konstantin Vasilievich of Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod, to Suzdal in order to found a monastery there. Yevfimi founded the Spassy Monastery in the north of the city near the River Kamenka and served as its first archimandrite until his death in 1404. Later the monastery was renamed in honour of its founder as the Spaso-Yevfimiev Monastery. Yevfimi h...
Prince Dmitri Konstantinovich of Suzdal
In 1355 Konstantin Vasilievich died. Just before his death he sent his younger sons Dmitri and Boris to Suzdal and Gorodets respectively, while his eldest son Andrey Konstantinovich became grand prince of Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod. Prince Dmitri Konstantinovich of Suzdal set out a policy of opposing Moscow for the title of Grand Prince of Vladimir which he held briefly from 1360 to 1362. Dmitri Konstantinovich achieved more success in 1365 with the Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod Grand Principality which...
Battle of Suzdal
In 1445 Suzdal was the scene of the Battle of Suzdal which was fought under the walls of the monastery between Russian troops led by Grand Prince Vasili II of Moscow and Tatar troops from the Kazan Khanate. In the battle the Kazan Tatars were victorious and Vasili II was even taken prisoner. He was only released when an enormous ransom was paid.
Royal Place of Exile
In the 16th century Suzdal became a religious centre of Russia with 11 monasteries and convents which underwent new stone construction work. In 1525 Grand Prince Vasili III's first wife, Solomonia Saburova, was forced to become a nun so that Vasili was free to remarry and finally gain a male heir. Solomonia eventually settled in Suzdal's Pokrovsky Convent where she died in 1542. She was later canonised as St Sofia of Suzdal, as she took the name Sofia upon becoming a nun. A legend exists that...
Time of Troubles
The Time of Troubles brought much destruction to Suzdal throughout the years of 1608 to 1612, during which time the city was sacked by Polish-Lithuanian Interventionists. During the reign of Tsar Vasili Shuisky the city pledged its allegiance to the Second False Dmitri whose supporters occupied the city. More destruction came after the Troubles had ended as the city was raided in 1634 by Crimean Tatars and then plague struck the city in 1654 and 1655.
Administrative Reforms
In 1708, during the administrative reforms of Peter the Great, Suzdal became part of the Moscow Governorate and in 1719 it became the centre of the Suzdal Province of the Moscow Governorate. In the same year a fire broke out in the Suzdal Kremlin destroying practically all of its wooden structures. In 1766 Catherine the Great established a prison in the which over the next two centuries would be used to incarcerate many prisoners on political and religious grounds. In 1778 Suzdal was granted...
Decline
Throughout the 18th century Suzdal experienced economic decline and it became a remote provincial city. This was partly brought about by the fact that no railway line was constructed in Suzdal (this still is the case today), which in turn mean that no major industry was developed in the city. The Spaso-Yevfimiev Monastery's prison continued to be used by the authorities. Famous prisoners during the 18th century included the Decembrist Fyodor Shakhovsky, the seer Avel, the leader of the Moloka...
Development of Tourism
After the revolution the majority of Suzdal's churches and monasteries were closed down. The prison at the Spaso-Yevfimiev Monastery was put to good use by the Bolsheviks who extended it and used it for political prisoners. During the war it was used to hold POWs especially Italian POWs. In 1958 the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Reserve was established which included many buildings in Suzdal. In 1967 a plan was adopted to make use of the fact that Suzdal was left untouched by industry by developing...
People also ask
When was Suzdal first mentioned?
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Who founded the Suzdal dynasty of ryurikids?
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Suzdal was first mentioned in the annals in 1024, but some historians believe it was founded even earlier, in 982 by Prince Vladimir, the baptizer of Rus, who later founded neighboring Vladimir.
Sep 17, 2006 · Cheaper, slower commuter trains -- or elektrichkas -- leave six or seven times a day from Kursk Station (150 to 172 rubles). From Vladimir, regular buses travel the 23 miles to Suzdal; the fare is ...
The Suzdalian Chronicle (Church Slavonic: Суздальскаѧ Лѣтопись, romanized: Suzdal'skaę Lětopys'; Russian: Суздальская летопись, romanized: Suzdal'skaia letopis'), also known as the Chronicle of Vladimir-Suzdal, Suzdal–Vladimirian Chronicle or Laurentian–Radziwiłł–Academic Chronicle (LRAC), is a Rus' chronicle.
Suzdal, medieval principality that occupied the area between the Oka River and the Upper Volga in northeastern Russia. During the 12th to 14th centuries, Suzdal was under the rule of a branch of the Rurik dynasty.
The monastery was founded in the 14th century. Its current appearance is dated by the 16th century. That times the monastery was the prison for disgraced queens and women of noble families. In the 16-17th centuries, the monastery was one of the largest in Russia.
