In
the first place of Pereslavl-Zalessky history has been Spas-Transfiguration Cathedral
(1152-1157) - one of the oldest in whole Russia. The cathedral was founded by Yuri
Dolgoruky. Construction of the cathedral had been finished by son of Yuri Dolgoruky -
Andrei Bogolyubsky.
Here were baptized Pereslavl princes Yaroslav (1191) and Alexander Nevsky (1220). Son of Alexander Nevsky, the prince of Pereslavl-Zalessky Dmitry (1294) and, later, Ivan (1302) were buried in the cathedral.
In
1310, in Spas-Transfiguration Cathedral, gathered Russian bishops for casting aspersions
on Peter Metropolitan of Moscow. He had been acquitted.
In 1354 Reverend Sergei Radonezhsky took the Holy Orders.
Spas-Transfiguration Cathedral had been ravaged for four times by Mongol-Tartars in the 13th century; later, in 1385 - by khan Tokhtamysh, and, in 1408 - by khan Edigey. In spite of that, every time it happened the cathedral came back to life again.
In the end of the 19th century Russian architect Suslov restored the cathedral. The church plates and icons are exhibited in Moscow and Pereslavl-Zalessky museums.
The earthen wall around the town is the only earthen wall in European Russia. It was built in the end of the 12th century under the rule of prince Vsevolod - son of Yuri Dolgoruky. The wall length is 2.5 km, height - up to 10 m, the width of the crest - 6 to 7 m. Inside the wall are log frames filled with clay.
The town was placed in the mouth of Vorgusha river where it flows into Trubezh river. Around was moat +Groblya+. Three gates with towers led into the city. The fourth an last gate and tower was built in the 16th century and faced the East. On top of the earthen wall stood a double wall made of logs. It had a platform under the roof. The wooden wall itself had eight watching towers named as follows: Kashirskaya, Glukhaya, Alekseevskaya, Troitskaya, Varvarskaya, Kruglaya, Tainitskaya, and Voznesenskaya. Und der the Tainitskaya tower was a well with water coming from Trubezh river. The wooden wall remained for 600 years, then it was pulled down.
After discovering the relic of St.Peter Metropolit, in the 14th century,
near Spas -Transfiguration Cathedral was built the second oldest stone church in
Pereslavl-Zalessky. It was named after St.Peter Metropolit. Ground floor in the church was
used for the fisc.
Inside the town were the prince+s court-yard and palace, church and cathedral, Departmental House, patriarchal, siege and suburb yards, and other settlements. On Pereslavl-Zalessky Red Square gathered Vetche (popular assembly in ancient Russia). From here the detachment of armed workers and volunteers went against the Poles in the 17th century.
In the 12th - 18th centuries Pereslavl-Zalessky changed its look due to the ravages and fires, but the ancient town street planning remained unchanged. The Holy Mother Monastery architectural ensemble partly survived as it was in the 18th century. Construction of the cathedrals and fences in the Yaroslavl baroque style was sponsored by Pereslavl factory owner Mr. Ugrimov.
Along the Great Yamskaya road that crossed Pereslavl-Zalessky stood the houses of rich citizens: the town Mayor Alexandrov, factory owner Pavlov, the Milyanchikovs, and others. Here also were the Town Council, alms house, post office, jail with a church, and schools.
In the beginning of the 20th century a new architectural style had come. Private residence of the Varentsovs (since 1990 - the administrative building of Pereslavl National park), the school for boys, and some other buildings were built in pre-Modern style. There were two small parks.
The town within the walls is particularly charming. Here it has its own micro-climate, and the private garden yards are especialy fertile. Take a walk on top of the wall and you will get to see all Pereslavl-Zalessky as it is now: the onion-shaped domes of the churches and belfries, the Red Square architectural ensamble, commercial and industrial area, and the monasteries surrounded by villages.
PERESLAVL-ZALESSKY NATIONAL PARK YAROSLAVL REGION,
RUSSIA. E-mail: info@park.botik.ru
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