Maybe you know, but there is a great difference between Moscow, St. Petersburg, and all other Russia. It is not easy to understand life here when you are stuck in the traffic jam on your way to Kremlin with a coffee in your hand! Visiting countryside is a great opportunity to explore real Russia and to see the common life of ordinary people. The best choice if you have only one or two days is Vladimir and Suzdal. This cities are one of the most visited sites within the popular Golden Ring of Russia because it preserves several of the picteresque white-stone medieval architecture, along with later buildings from the 16th–20th centuries.

About Vladimir and Suzdal

Vladimir is a mid sized city located 200 km to the east of Moscow. Vladimir is famous worldwide because of its great history and picteresque architecture with numerous UNESCO World Heritage Sites of 12th century.

Officially, the city was founded in 1108. At that period, the city was rapidly developing and soon became the capital of North-Eastern Russia. Assumption Cathedral and the Golden Gates, one of Russia's greatest architectural monuments, were built at that times. Assumption Cathedral was a mother church of Medieval Russia in the 13th and 14th centuries, it remained the largest of Russian churches for the next 300 or 400 years. The exterior walls of the church are covered with elaborate carvings. The interior was painted by Andrei Rublev, one of the greatest medieval Russian painters of Orthodox icons and frescos. Later, the paintings and carvings became a model for Assumption Cathedral in the Kremlin.

The city's period of greatest importance was in 12-13th centuries and finished with the Mongol invasion... In 1238, Vladimir was besieged and taken by the Mongol hordes under Batu Khan. Unfortunately, the city never recovered fully. Though it remained the pricipality's capital for a century, Vladimir gradually lost its political and cultural significance to Moscow. The transfer of the capital was completed in 15th century, but Vladimir continued to be a provincial capital. Presently, the city has some industrial areas, although the historical centre remains almost untouched since the beginning of 20th century.

More information you can find here: Wikipedia, Wikitravel

Bogolyubovo is a small town only 13 km from Vladimir which features a gorgeous little church by the water in the middle of a field. This is the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl river that is a popular tourist attraction. This is probably the most harmonious and complete church in Russian architecture. The Church is the most recognizable among Russians - every student saw it million times at textboks and postcards! Both the shape, the exterior decoration, and the location are perfect. There is a kilometre long path pilgrims and tourists need to walk through the field, and as the church gets closer the view becomes more dramatic. It’s unique to gaze upon an architectural delight in the middle of nowhere.

More information you can find here: Wikitravel

Suzdal is gorgeous little town in the countryside "middle of nowhere". It has only 10 thousands of people and no railways, but still it is a major tourist attraction. Suzdal is located 30 km north from Vladimir and famous for it’s kremlin, the beautiful churches and monasteries. Several of its monuments are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The town's history dates back to 1024 and in 1125 it was made the capital of the principality. Suzdal began to function as a capital at the time when Moscow was still a cluster of cowsheds! Later the capital was moved to Vladimir, but Suzdal remained an important trade centre even after Mongol-led invasions because of a fertile wheat-growing area and good location.

After a decline in political importance, the town rose in prominence as a religious center. Suzdal reached remarkable ratio of churches to citizens: at one point, forty churches for four hundred families! In 19th century, local merchants failed to coerce the government into building the Trans-Siberian Railway through their town. As a result, Suzdal was bypassed not only by trains, but by the 20th century dark moments altogether. That is why the place remains largely the same as ages ago – its cute wooden cottages mingling with golden cupolas that reflect in the river Kamenka, which meanders sleepily through gentle hills and flower-filled meadows... Although having just under ten thousand residents, Suzdal still retains a rural look with streams and meadows everywhere and chicken and livestock a common sight on the streets, some of which remain unpaved. This juxtaposition of stunning medieval architecture with its pastoral setting lends Suzdal a picturesque charm, and in the summer, artists and easels are a common sight. Visitors can also climb the ancient walls of the kremlin, to enjoy panoramic views of the city and it’s architectural wonders.

More information you can find here: Wikipedia, Wikitravel

You can read impressions from our tour at Tom Rooney travel blog.