!!!Golden Ring of Russia, Pereslavl-Zalessky 

Photo by Sergey Shandin and Stas Sedov,
members of the [AirPano Team|Geography/About/Consortium/AirPano,_Team] that is a member of the [global-geography Consortium|Geography/About/Consortium]. \\

08 May, 2015

with kind permission of [AirPano|http://www.AirPano.com]

The "Golden Ring of Russia" is a unique touristic route including
several ancient cities which have preserved outstanding historical and
cultural monuments. Pereslavl-Zalessky, situated 140 kilometers to the
north-east of Moscow and lying on the shore of Lake Pleshcheyevo, is one
of them.

Pereslavl was founded in 1152 by Yury Dolgoruky in Zalesye region, which
had got its name due to the forests and fields covering the area. The
history of the city is full of the events which were quite bright and
important for entire Russia. For example, it was the place where
Alexander Nevsky, an outstanding Russian commander, was born in 1220. In
1276-1294 Pereslavl had been an actual capital of the North-Eastern
Russia, and in 1688 here, on Lake Pleshcheyevo, Peter the Great started
to build so-called Poteshny (fun) Flotilla which is considered to be the
forefather of the Russian Fleet. In 1708 the city became a part of
Moscow Governorate. Nowadays Pereslavl is a part of Yaroslavl Region.

[{Image src='01_Red Square.jpg' caption='Red Square' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='491'}]

The ancient Pereslavl-Zalessky repeatedly suffered from Mongols'
devastating raids and more than once was damaged; the town suffered the
greatest damage at the Time of Troubles (1598-1613). Fortunately, the
town preserved a lot of great monuments that glorify the "Golden Ring of
Russia".

[{Image src='02_Forty Martyrs Church in winter.jpg' caption='Forty Martyrs Church in winter' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='575'}]

The most famous sight of Pereslavl-Zalessky is the Kremlin - that was
where the construction of the town began. According to the order of Yury
Dolgoruky, a fortress, previously standing to the north of this place,
was moved closer to the mouth of the Trubezh river, on the bank of the
small river Murmazh. Especially for this purpose a ditch was dug so that
the fortress was surrounded by water from all sides. A high fortifying
bank more than 2 kilometers long was also created. Currently the height
of the bank is 10-12 meters, the width of the foundation is around 30
meters and the width of the ridge is 6 meters.

[{Image src='03_Planet of Pereslavl.jpg' caption='Planet of Pereslavl' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='793'}]

Previously, there were double wooden fortifying walls with towers on the
ridge of the bank. In 1194 they were significantly rebuilt, and in the
12th-13th centuries it was the second mightiest fortress in the
Vladimir-Suzdal Principality after the the Vladimir Kremlin. The walls
were demolished only in 1759 at the time when they were totally
dilapidated.

For quite a long time the only stone building within the Kremlin was
Savior's Cathedral. Previously, the height of the building was around 22
meters, but comparing to pre-mongolian period, the building sank almost
one meter into the earth. It is the first and the only church among the
first five white stone churches in the northwest of Russia that has
remained almost intact till nowadays. Most probably there was a princely
mansion connected to the cathedral and to fortifying walls by stair
turrets and passages. But afterwards this architectural complex was
destroyed.

[{Image src='04_Plesheevo Lake.jpg' caption='Plesheevo Lake' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='495'}]

The center of the Pereslavl Kremlin is the Red square. In the 12th-13th
centuries there were oak columns with a bell which informed people about
Veche (public gathering). In the end of the 20th century the square was
reconstructed: shabby wooden houses were demolished and the overall
territory was furnished well. As a result one can have a better look of
the outstanding architectural monuments of the Red square: besides
Savior's Cathedral there are also Vladimir-Sretensky Cathedral and
Churches of Alexander Nevsky and Metropolitan Peter.

[{Image src='05_Red Square at Winter.jpg' caption='Red Square at Winter' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='655'}]

Vladimir Cathedral, as well as the neighbouring church of Alexander
Nevsky, was a part of Sretensky Novodevichy monastery founded within the
walls of the Kremlin in 1659. They both were built at the expense of
local merchants and the construction was performed by the same masters,
that is why they look so much alike. At the Soviet period the belfry of
Vladimir Cathedral was demolished: now there is a road on its place, but
the cathedral itself is restored and functions as a church.

[{Image src='06_Goritsky Monastery.jpg' caption='Goritsky Monastery' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='579'}]

One more interesting sight of the Red square of Pereslavl is the tented
roof church of Metropolitan Peter. The church is built of bricks with
oak poles in the form of Greek cross. Each side of the cathedral is
divided into three parts by flat column, and three sides have covered
arcades with semicircular arches. This unique architectural monument of
the 16th century is presently closed and needs to be restored.

[{Image src='07_Forty Martyrs Church.jpg' caption='Forty Martyrs Church' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='597'}]

A very unusual object, a giant 12-tons boulder, appeared on the square
in 1972. It was found on the right bank of the Trubezh River on the
place of the demolished Sergiev Church, in the foundation of one of its
corners. This stone is more than 2,5 billion years old, it was brought
here by a glacier at the time of the ice-age together with other
boulders. It turns dark blue after a rain due to light-refraction and
light-reflection.

[{Image src='08_St. Vladimir’s Church.jpg' caption='St. Vladimir’s Church' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='561'}]

There are many other interesting sights in Pereslavl-Zalessky; there are
dozens of cathedrals and six monasteries. The coat of arms presents two
golden vendaces: there was a time when Pereslavl was supplying this fish
to almost the whole Russia. Fishery settlement (sloboda), situated on
the banks of the Trubezh River, is a reminder of that time. Lake
Pleshcheyevo is the biggest lake in the Pereslavl area: it covers 50
square km, the greatest depth is 25 meters. This lake is around 30
thousand years old. The Trubezh river and many other streams flow to
this lake.

We are inviting you to visit these wonderful ancient historical places
that are considered to be the pride of Russia.

\\ \\
[14 Panoramas of Pereslavl-Zalessky|Geography/Asia/Russia/Pictures/Panoramas_of_Golden_Ring_of_Russia_(Pereslavl-Zalessky)]


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