In 1158, the small village of Bogolyubovo located near the city of Vladimir was something like the Moscow’s Rublyovka area, since Prince Andrei Yurievich built his residence there, “a town made of stones and named Bogolyubyi”. And within a short time, he turned this place into a full-fledged town, one of the largest in Ancient Rus (Russia).
Naturally, there should be a myth about the settlement with such a name and there is one. It tells that the Prince was returning from Kiev but his horses harnessed to the cart with the miraculous icon of the Mother of God suddenly stopped. And at night, the Mother of God appeared before the fervently praying Prince. At the behest of Prince Andrei, a town was built at this blessed site from 1158 to 1165 with a palace and a church, a fortress with earthen ramparts and stone walls.
However, after the death of Andrei called Bogolyubskyi (Andrew the Pious), the town quickly fell into disrepair, and today, it is a pilgrimage place, as well as a historical and architectural landmark. It is a historical and architectural place, primarily, because it is here that part of the oldest civil structure in Russia has been preserved - a small part of the palace wall with a stair tower left from the residence of Prince Andrei.
By the way, it was in this tower that Andrei Bogolyubskyi died at the hands of his boyars. And the answer to the question - whom did the founder of Bogolyubovo love - is simple: he was an arrogant and cruel person, and sheer love of power and desire for fame were the mainsprings of his behaviour. He loved only power and ‘himself in power’. He was killed, by the way, almost the same way as Julius Caesar was killed, and about 20 boyars participated in the murder.
As for the pilgrimage centre, today the nunnery is one of the most famous ones in the Vladimir Region, and its history deserves special attention. So, for example, one of the bells in the golden-domed belfry weighs 8 tonnes, and until 1917, the chiming clock with 4 dials chimed the melody of the Russian anthem “God Save the Tsar ...” every 15 minutes.
In the nunnery area, there is also a white-stone arbour rebuilt in the 17th century on the site of an older building. And that building was just on the place where the tent of Prince Andrei stood - he prayed inside it and in this tent, the Mother of God appeared before him in his dream.
The main church of the nunnery, the Cathedral in honour of the Bogolyubskaya Icon of the Mother of God, was built in the Russian-Byzantine style thanks to the donations made by the Moscow merchant Alekseyeva and her sons. In those days, there were the merchants in Russia who honoured the Orthodox faith and Russian traditions, which seem to come to life when you look at this Church complex surrounded by native Russian nature.
Of course, the Nunnery is not the only attraction in this village as the most important architectural miracle is located behind the railway line, in the bottomland meadows.
The Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin on the River Nerl absolutely rightfully called the most beautiful Russian church is at the place where the Nerl River flows into the Klyazma River and where floodplain lakes are formed after the flood in the lowlands of the meadow and bright, as well as beautiful yellow flowers grow in the water (in total, several hundred species of plants grow in the Bogolyubovsky meadow, four of which are listed in the Red Book of the Vladimir Region) and a white-tailed eagle - a Red Book inhabitant of these places - flies overhead.
By the way, the paved path has appeared quite recently, and earlier, pilgrims and tourists walked to the Church directly across the meadow wearing high boots in early spring when the flood ended and it was wet.
Previously, it was possible to go by car to the Church, but now, this option (not the best one) is over, largely due to the fact that the Bogolyubovsky meadow received the status of a specially protected natural area. Now, pilgrims and tourists leave their ‘iron horses’ in the parking lot near the railway, cross the bridge (those who find it difficult can use two elevators) and only then, after walking along the path, they get to the churchyard.
But the walk is definitely a pleasure! The Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin on the River Nerl became the UNESCO World Heritage Site in the early 1990s, and the 4-metre-high picturesque hill on which it stands is not of natural origin, as it might seem, it was built by human hands. According to some historians, the Church was built during one summer, which was an absolutely incredible event for that time.
A very clear stone carving is amazing, in which elements of the Byzantine school are seen, like the carving of King David surrounded by various animals and fantastic creatures, as well as girls’ faces and beautiful ornaments, there are in total 19 carvings in stone.
And in general, the Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin on the River Nerl catches the eye thanks to its laconic manner, and it is a classic example of the ancient Russian architecture. At the base of the Church there is the so-called ‘quadrangle’ (the building has four sides and looks like a square on the plan view) with a cross-domed system, three apses and a bulbous cupola. This gives the tourists a chance to admire an ideal example of the construction of not only the Vladimir-Suzdal architectural school in particular, but also the entire ancient Russian architecture in general!
Interestingly, galleries were attached earlier to the building that can be seen today on three sides, and there were other premises and buildings around. In the 16th century, there was a nunnery here, and before it, perhaps, there was a fortress. So over time, having lost these additional buildings, the Church only benefited and became more attractive.
The Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin on the River Nerl is very simple and laconic inside. By the way, the decoration inside the Church was much richer quite recently. Back in the 19th century, the interior and the ceiling were famous for its decoration. Inside the dome, Christ was depicted surrounded by seraphs and archangels, and frescoes covered the walls. Unfortunately, the decorations were destroyed in 1877 when, at the instruction of the churchmen of the Bogolyubsky Nunnery, it was decided to renovate the premises of the Church.
And now, beautiful in its simplicity, the spire of the Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin on the River Nerl and all its architectural elements seem to prick up into the sky. The Church is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and I must say that there are usually not so many people inside, probably, it is better as mundane desires and affairs would not prevent a person from communicating with God, hearing and listening the Almighty.
