The Mystery of White-Stone Russia

Introduction

Soak in the atmosphere of old Russian cities: Vladimir, Suzdal & Pereslavl-Zalessky! The Old Rus’ has left us its amazing white-stone monuments of architecture; the magnificent cathedrals of Vladimir and modest churches of the Moscow Region, constructed of white limestone, embodied their epoch with the stone handwriting of builders, whose talent in those remote times could reveal itself mostly in erecting constructions of cult.

Day 1: Pereslavl’-Zalesskiy Departure from Moscow to Pereslavl-Zalessky. Arrival to Pereslavl - Zalesskiy. Pereslavl is an ancient lakeside town and a popular dacha (summer country house) getaway for Muscovites. City tour "Land beyond the forest", including the Pereslavl Red Square, Alexander Nevskiy monument, "The boat of the Peter the Great" museum. Lunch. Drive to Sima. Foto - stop near the Pyotr Bagrations church (a Russian general and prince, prominent during the Napoleonic Wars). Drive to Yuryev-Polsky. Foto-stop near the Saint George Cathedral. Constructed between 1230 and 1234, the cathedral was also the last of of a dozen surviving white-stone churches which were built in the northeastern Rus prior to the Mongol invasion. Drive to Vladimir. Overnight in Vladimir.

Day 2: Vladimir In and around Vladimir Breakfast in hotel. The white stone churches in Vladimir and Bogoliubovo feature Romanesque sculptural decoration, whereas Renaissance influence was brought to the Moscow Kremlin and elsewhere by Italian builders. City tour. Visit Uspensky Cathedral and see a famous Rublyov’s images, that are impressive for their intense humanity and depth of characterization and the Golden Gate - a white tower dating from the end of the 12th century. The carved decorations and the architectural image of the Dmitrievsky Cathedral as a whole are national in spirit, techniques, methods, and plasticity. Lunch. Walk to the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl. The walls of the church are still covered with 12th-century stonecarvings. Drive to Suzdal. Overnight in Suzdal.

Day 3: Suzdal In and around Suzdal Breakfast in hotel. The former capital of ancient Russia, riverside Suzdal has blessedly remained a relatively undeveloped, quiet town whose idyllic surrounding countryside of flower meadows and gentle streams gives it a highly attractive setting. Discover all the treasures of Suzdal including the Kremlin, the Nativity Cathedral, the Museum of Wooden Architecture, St. Ethymius Monastery and the Transfiguration Cathedral. Lunch: Enjoy a nice traditional Russian food and a famous alkoholic drink - Suzdal medovukha! Visit the church of SS Boris and Gleb in Kideksha, near Suzdal. It was built not in the town itself but a small estate belonging to Yury Dolgoruky, on a high river bank, and its severe outline dominates the gentle landscape surroundings. Drive to Moscow.