Yuryev-Polsky Historical, Architectural and Art Museum

What to see in Yuryev-Polsky in 1 day – TOP 3 places

Yuryev-Polsky is full of interesting sights, but among them there are three special places that are worth visiting for any tourist, even those who come here for one day.

Historical, Architectural and Art Museum (Yuryev Kremlin)

• Address: st. May 1, 4.

The richest collection of museum exhibits is located in the ancient buildings of the Archangel Michael Monastery. 16 thousand works of art and antiquities are distributed across several exhibitions. Here you can see personal belongings of aristocrats brought from their estates, exquisite porcelain items, and unique wooden sculptures.

One of the main exhibitions of the museum is dedicated to the Patriotic War of 1812. The collection consists of various evidence of the struggle of the Russian people against French troops.

Another room houses a small art gallery consisting of paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries. In the Archimandrite building you can see the works of Vladimir weavers. Guests of the city are also recommended to visit the local history exhibition, which will help to better understand the life of Yuryev residents of past years.

Honeymooners Park

• Address: 1st May Street.

Beautiful park of St. Peter and Fevronia Muromsky quickly gained popularity among both local residents and tourists. In a short period of time, several traditions have developed in the park. Lovers often meet on the Kissing Bridge, and wedding photo sessions on the Brides' Glade have become an integral part of many weddings.

Local newlyweds also like to pose near a sculptural composition in the form of crossed wedding rings with the inscription: “Advice and love.” From time to time, on the territory of the attraction you can see an unusual flower tent in the shape of a fairy-tale carriage.

St. George's Cathedral

• Address: Museum Lane.

The white-walled temple complex with a huge black dome is reminiscent of the famous Church of the Intercession on the Nerl. The cathedral has survived several eras and undergone many changes. One of the oldest churches in Russia was built in 1234 by order of Prince Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich and still remains one of the best examples of Vladimir-Suzdal architecture.

Previously, on the site of the magnificent stone cathedral there was a small church, which was founded by Yuri Dolgoruky. In each new city, the prince erected a temple in honor of his heavenly patron. Yuryev-Polsky was no exception. When the old building was damaged by an earthquake, the grandson of the great ruler Svyatoslav erected a new building, which amazed with its luxurious stone carvings.

In the mid-15th century, craftsmen from Moscow strengthened the dilapidated walls of the church and damaged the carved paintings, but managed to preserve a unique architectural monument. Cathedral of the Great Martyr. St. George the Victorious preserves ancient paintings, valuables and shrines, the main one of which is the Svyatoslav Cross. The prince made a large crucifix out of stone in gratitude to God for salvation in one of his military campaigns.

On the territory of the Archangel Michael Monastery there is the Yuryev-Polsky Historical, Architectural and Art Museum , which is open from 9.00 to 17.00, on Mondays until 15.00, closed on Tuesdays, the last Friday of the month is a sanitary day.
The document dated January 6, 1920 states that the board for museum affairs, protection of art and ancient monuments listened to the report of A.I. Romanov about his trip to Vladimir on museum business. As a result, a resolution was passed: “... to ask the executive committee to urgently provide premises for the museum..., in order to implement the resolution of the provincial congress of July 6-10, 1919.” The opening of the museum was timed to coincide with the celebration of the October Revolution - November 7, 1920. The first head of the Yuryev-Polsky art-historical and everyday life museum is 37-year-old art teacher Afanasy Ivanovich Romanov, who graduated from the Stroganov School and worked in the 1st Soviet second-level school. It was decided to place a museum in the dining room and the adjacent room of this school. A year later, all the museum property was transported to the building of the former rooms of the Khlebnikov merchants. The museum collection had grown significantly and did not fit in the small merchant rooms. And in 1922-1923. with the assistance of P.D. Baranovsky 1325 museum exhibits have already taken up residence in the former St. Michael the Archangel Monastery. Baranovsky put forward the idea of ​​​​creating a museum on the basis of the monastery with the aim of preserving this highly artistic architectural complex of the 16th-19th centuries, located in the very center of the city. At this time, the museum’s funds were partially replenished from the monastery’s property. Most of the exhibits came from the former. Landowner estates of the district (Prince Golitsin, Saltykov, etc.) and private collections of manufacturers in the city of Yuryev (N. Ganshina, D. Ovsyannikov and I. Bednyakova). The rest is collected from churches and through donations. Based on the collected material, exhibitions were opened. “...a cultural and historical department is being prepared for opening, it contains objects of Finnish and Slavic culture of the 10th-11th centuries, obtained by random excavations on the territory of Yuryevsky district, a collection of ancient Russian weapons of the 11th-12th centuries, a collection of coins of the 15th-18th centuries, objects religious cult of the 17th-19th centuries, various kinds of atlases, maps. In total, there were 574 items in the first department. The art department contains paintings, sketches, and engravings in the amount of 372 items. The third department of household items is the richest and most varied in exhibits. It contains crystal, porcelain from the 18th-19th centuries, caskets, boxes, hats and lace, purses and wallets, figurines and vases. There are 673 items in total. The fourth department is natural science, just in its infancy, it contains the remains of bones of extinct animals found within the district, objects of marine flora and fauna taken from Crimea and donated to the museum.” In 1923, demolition of the warm cathedral, previously attached to the ancient St. George's Cathedral, began. The work took place under the supervision of the museum, the responsible manager of the work was the architect P.D. Baranovsky. During the dismantling of the later extensions of the cathedral (the former Trinity chapel and bell tower), 65 ancient stones with different figures and ornaments were removed. At that time, the museum was divided into the following main departments: 1) cultural and historical, 2) artistic, 3) everyday life and 4) natural. The cultural and historical department contains: objects of Finnish and Slavic culture of the 10th-12th centuries. (63 pieces), obtained by random excavations on the territory of Yuryevsky district, a collection of ancient Russian weapons of the 16th-18th centuries. (74 pcs.), collections of coins of the XV-XVIII centuries. (362 pcs.), religious objects of the 17th-19th centuries. (190 pcs.) and various kinds of atlases and maps (68 pcs.). In total, the first department included up to 574 items. In the second department - art - paintings, sketches, portraits and engravings are exhibited. Among the paintings the most valuable were: Sverchkov - “Horse in the Stable”, I. Shishkin - “Ethys”, Voroshilov - “Troika” and Makovsky - “At the Monastery”. Also noteworthy were several remarkable portraits painted by unknown artists of the late 18th century. and first floor XIX century and several engravings from the 18th century. military and religious-spiritual content. In total there are 372 items in the department. The third department, the household department, is the richest in the number and variety of exhibits. It contains: crystal and porcelain of the 18th-19th centuries. (369 pcs.), antique caskets and boxes (20 pcs.), headdresses and lace of the 18th-19th centuries. (88 pcs.), wallets and wallets (14 pcs.), figurines and vases (48 pcs.), furniture (43 pcs.), fans, playing cards (12 pcs.), chandeliers (20 pcs.), watches ( 5 pcs.) and tiles (80 pcs.). In total, the department had 679 items. The fourth department is natural science. It contains the remains of bones of extinct animals found within the county - a total of 24 specimens and 54 objects of marine fauna and flora, taken from Crimea and donated to the museum. The museum had a library with 4813 volumes, including 1840 in Russian and 2973 in foreign languages. The museum received 200-300 visitors monthly. The head of the museum from the moment of its foundation was A.I. Romanov. The first local history circle in Yuryev-Polsky was organized on the initiative of the local intelligentsia on March 6, 1924. On June 6, 1924, the circle was reorganized into the Yuryev-Polish Scientific Society for the Study of the Local Region. On September 8, 1929, Afanasy Ivanovich Romanov transferred museum objects to the newly appointed director I.I. Kadikov, a former researcher at the museum. Afanasy Ivanovich's dismissal was due to his permanent move to Moscow. The archive preserved the resolution to the report of I.I. Kadikova, pointing out shortcomings in museum work. The development of the museum business required financial investments, but the new state had not yet been formed, and only fragments remained from the old regime in the form of surviving valuables. It was difficult for the first museum workers. Even documents, orders, and memos were written on the back of old family archives of the 19th century. From December 1 to December 6, 1930, the first museum congress was held in Moscow. He demanded a decisive turn by museums to the pressing problems of the day, a radical restructuring of museum methodology on a Marxist-Leninist basis. In the surviving plans for subsequent years, the task of anti-religious propaganda was placed at the forefront. This can be seen from the original documents. The director of a 2nd-level school requests that a priest and two monks wear clothes from the museum collection for an anti-religious evening, which he undertakes to return at the end of the event. During this period, museum funds lost a colossal number of monuments of church art, which were mercilessly destroyed or used for other purposes. In 1931, Mikhail Ivanovich Orlov became director of the Yuryev-Polsky Museum. The newly appointed director becomes an active collector of archaeological and geological collections. 1920-1930 is the time when a scientific society for the study of the local region was active in the Yuryev-Polsky region, which later became the regional bureau of local history, headed by Mikhail Ivanovich Orlov. Almost all studies on local history were carried out with his participation. Their topics were very diverse. A study of geological material was carried out, the results were recorded in field diaries. The local press also reflected this. Samples of the found materials were transferred to the exhibition for display to the local population. The museum preserves a document in which Mikhail Ivanovich described the difficult conditions under which he had to work. We will briefly quote his sorrowful confession: “... the museum’s budget consists only of funds from renting out the monastery’s premises; the museum’s income does not exceed 200 rubles. per month, these funds are only enough for the guard’s salary and household expenses. There are no funds for scientific and local history work, or for hiring and paying researchers. The district executive committee refused to pay for the work of the only employee (meaning himself), and the head of the museum has not received a salary since March...” Photo portrait. Captured Orlov M.N.

M.I. Orlov conducted excursions, cleared the area in front of the museum of manure and debris, and prepared firewood for the winter. The museum is on the verge of closing. It was only thanks to the incredible efforts of Mikhail Ivanovich that it was preserved. Being a member of many societies that were emerging in the area at that time, M.I. Orlov actively promoted culture and art, and was an eloquent and competent lecturer. He argued, sometimes quarreled, with the authorities, defending the museum and its collections. Maybe that’s why he was repressed in 1936. Further traces of him were lost. During the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. the exhibitions were curtailed, but not for long. At the end of 1942, the museum reopened and some exhibitions were restored. The following year, due to lack of fuel, the museum was open for only 5 months. During this time, 4,800 students, adults and military personnel visited here. From 1936 and throughout the war period, the museum was headed by Fyodor Nikolaevich Poluyanov. Nothing new happened in the work of the museum during this period, but the most global task was accomplished - the museum fund was preserved. Despite the terrible military events, museum objects were protected from theft and complete destruction. Since 1953, there has been a revival in museum activities. The state pays more attention to museums, the term “tourist groups” and routes appear. The museum is expanding its staff; in addition to the director, there are two research workers - Valentina Ivanovna Dolotova and Elizaveta Georgievna Ananyina. At this time, St. George's Cathedral was shown to tourists, and work began on forming a collection of white stone. Georgy Karlovich Wagner, who worked here in the 60s of the 20th century, writes in his book “Masters of Old Russian Sculpture” that it was through the works of F.N. Poluyanov and P.D. Baranovsky, a collection of carved stones was collected and a lapidarium was built inside St. George's Cathedral. Reports by F.N. Poluyanov are full of enthusiasm, firm confidence in the future. Here is a short quote from the annual report for 1954. “...Considering that a new day in our lives brings new successes and achievements not only throughout the country, but in their area, museum workers, collecting new material, compiled thematic exhibition plans “The pre-revolutionary past of our region”, “Russian culture of the 19th century”, “Participation of the region in the Crimean War”. On March 28, 1966, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the RSFSR, Fedor Nikolaevich Poluyanov was awarded the honorary title of Honored Cultural Worker of the RSFSR for his services in the field of cultural and educational work. In 1968, Fyodor Nikolaevich was replaced by Zinaida Ilyinichna Kalabina, who worked as a research assistant. At this time, a restoration site is being created in the city. The museum receives assistance from local enterprises - the Avangard factory, . The restoration of the collection of paintings and icons was actively carried out. A city travel and excursion bureau opens. which helped attract tourists from the Baltic states and Leningrad to the city. Kyiv, Brest, Tashkent, Kurgan-Tube, etc. Often the museum was visited daily by 10-15 groups. By the end of the 60s, a new section “Assistance from the regional museum” appeared in museum reports. Therefore, the creation of the united state Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Reserve was not an accidental or spontaneous decision. On May 29, 1974, the executive committee of the Vladimir Regional Council of Workers' Deputies decided to create a large museum association consisting of branches, which became museums of regional cities of the Vladimir region. It also included the Yuryev-Polsky Museum of Local Lore. This period became a period of renaissance for the museum. Then each exhibition was assigned to responsible researchers from the main museum and professional artists from Moscow or Yaroslavl. Two exhibitions created at that time exist to this day. In 1989, the executive committee of the Vladimir Regional Council of People's Deputies decided to transform the Vladimir-Suzdal Historical, Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve into the Vladimir Association of Museums, including in its composition the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Reserve with a branch - the Crystal Museum, and as independent museums - former branches of the united museum, including Yuryev-Polsky. Since April 29, 1990, the Yuryev-Polsky Museum has become a historical, architectural and art museum.

EXPOSITIONS

— The exhibition “Golden Calf” is the history of the local weaving factory and the tradition of artistic embroidery. — Exhibition “Peasantry and Agriculture of the Vladimir Opolye”. — Exhibition “Artistic Wood Carving” (located in the building of the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael before its transfer to the Church) - wooden sculptures of the 15th–19th centuries. - St. George's Cathedral - interior of the cathedral: stones not used in the reconstruction of the building, graves of princes and paintings of the 17th century. — Observation deck and exhibition “Monastic Cell” (in the belfry building). The exhibition consists of several narrow halls with uninteresting exhibits, and from the observation deck there is a good view of the city and the surrounding fields. — Art gallery (in the building of the Church of St. John the Evangelist) – Russian art of the 16th–19th centuries. — An exhibition dedicated to the life of P.I. Bagration - a museum of the famous commander of the Patriotic War of 1812.

Observation deck and exhibition “Monastic Cell” in the bell tower building

The exhibition consists of several narrow halls with uninteresting exhibits, and from the observation deck there is a good view of the city and the surrounding fields.

Vladimir residents in the war of 1812. P.I. Bagration - national hero of Russia

Banner of the Astrakhan Regiment. 1812

Folk weapon Signal gun. Early 19th century

Guns. Jaeger fitting. Beginning of the 19th century.

The great Russian commander Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration, after being wounded near Borodino, was transported to the estate of his relative Princess Golitsyna near Yuryev-Polsky...

A carriage from the estate of the princes Golitsyn in Sima

Furniture, household items XVIII - early. XIX centuries from the Golitsyn house in the village of Sima, where the wounded P.I. was treated. Bagration

Furniture, household items XVIII - early. XIX centuries from the Golitsyn house in the village of Sima, where the wounded P.I. was treated. Bagration

The art part of the museum contains: paintings, religious objects, dishes, porcelain from the homes of local citizens who had paintings and porcelain before the revolution.

Museums of the Vladimir region.

House-Estate of the Golitsyns in the village of Sima.

HISTORY of the Vladimir region.

Interesting places in the vicinity of Yuryev-Polsky

In the vicinity of the city of Yuryev-Polsky, tourists will find many picturesque places, remarkable for their history and natural landscape.

Earthen ramparts (Mstislavl settlement)

• Address: s. Settlement.

The grassy earthen ramparts of Mstislavl are the main mystery of the area, hills that attract treasure hunters and lovers of mysticism. Over the course of several centuries, the once flourishing city was completely destroyed and wiped off the face of the earth. Having fallen victim to the Tatar-Mongol yoke, Mstislavl lost its former greatness and finally disappeared during the years of Soviet power. Now only hills, a deep ditch and the ruins of the Church of the Nativity remind us of the ancient city. The church was destroyed during the Soviet Union and now only the dilapidated four-tiered bell tower rises alone over the meadows.

Golitsyn Estate

• Address: s. Sima.

The estate in the village of Sima, Yuryev-Polsky district, became famous thanks to several famous families. The small village is a gift to General Mikhail Golitsyn from Peter the Great, a reward for military merits. Having received the land into possession, Mikhail Mikhailovich ordered to build a house with outbuildings on it, plant a park and dig a pond.

The history of the estate is also closely connected with the fate of the great commander Peter Bagration, a relative of the Golitsyns. After being seriously wounded in the fields of Borodino, the general came to Sima, where he spent his last days before his death. The commander's body was buried near the village church of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica, but was later reburied.

After the Revolution, the noble estate became a shelter for orphans. Currently, the manor house houses a library and a museum named after. P. Bagration and the local House of Culture.

Apraksin Estate

• Address: s. Ratislovo.

The once rich 18th century manor has only partially survived. Before the Revolution, there was a tall manor house, two outbuildings for servants and the Kazan Church. A large park was laid out for the Apraksin nobles, containing eight fairly large ponds. Of all the buildings, today you can only see the main house, which has lost its former beauty. The double building housed the school. Tourists can stroll through the wonderful park and admire the ponds.

Museum

MUK "Yuryev-Polsky Historical, Architectural and Art Museum"

Director

Borisova Svetlana Viktorovna

Address: 601800, Vladimir region, Yuryev-Polsky, st. 1-May, 4 Phone: 8 (49246) 2-28-48, fax: 8 (49246) 2-26-32 Opening hours: Every day from 9.00 to 17.00, except Tuesday and the last Friday of each month, Monday until 14.30

Official website: https://yp-muzeum.ru

At the confluence of the two rivers Koloksha and Gza, Grand Duke Yuri Dolgoruky stopped his gaze. In 1152, the prince founded the city of Yuryev-Polsky. Yuryev is called the smallest pearl of the Golden Ring. And although our city is small, it reflected the entire history of the Russian state like a tiny mirror. The founder of the city named the city after himself, Yuryev, because of the fields surrounding the city, adding “Polish”. Yuryev-Polsky is the very heart of Vladimir Opolye. The ancient city was conceived as a real fortress, surrounded by a kilometer-long rampart. In the ring of ancient ramparts there is a complex of the princely Michael the Archangel Monastery founded in the 13th century by Prince Svyatoslav. Burned by the Tatar-Mongols, it was again reborn from the ashes. The existing buildings date back to the late 17th and 18th centuries. The white-stone splendor of the temples is truly an imperishable witness of the past and can tell a lot about the lives of people of bygone days. The Yuryev-Polsky Historical, Architectural and Art Museum is located in the monastery buildings.

Directly in front of the entrance is the main St. Michael the Archangel Cathedral (early 19th century), which since 2002 has been used jointly with the Vladimir-Suzdal diocese. The temple contains Christian shrines. Reliquary icons containing about three hundred pieces of holy relics are placed in a specially constructed wooden, carved reliquary. In the monastery church, a wooden sculpture of XY-XIX is shown from the museum collections.

In the very center of the monastery courtyard there is a hipped bell tower dating from 1683. There is an observation deck at the belfry; this is one of the most visited places in the museum. From the west there is a panorama of the central part of the city, from the north there are endless fields of Yuryevsky Opole. Descending from the belfry, you find yourself at the “Bell Rings” exhibition, reflecting the history of bells, ringing, and their significance in church life. The display cases display documents, photographs, a model of the ancient city, and the walls are painted on this theme. The exhibits included fragments of bells thrown down during the destruction of the bell towers, donated by city and rural residents. On the floor below is the exhibition “Monastic Cell”. All objects convey the atmosphere of the solitary prayerful life of a monk. The monastery played a big role in the social, cultural and educational life of the city.

Another exhibition is no less famous; it is dedicated to the War of 1812 and the outstanding general of that time P.I. Bagration. The name of Peter Ivanovich is closely connected with our region. He repeatedly visited the village of Sima on the estate of a friend and relative of Prince B.A. Golitsyn. While in Sima, P.I. Bagration received the appointment to be the commander-in-chief of the second Western Army, he was brought there, seriously wounded in the Battle of Borodino, there he died, and was buried in the family crypt of the Golitsyn princes.

Above the “holy gate” 1654 The Theological Gate Church built in 1670 is located. where the “Art Exhibition” is open. The exhibition features various items from the museum's collection.

The painting section introduces portrait works by artists of the academic school of painting, with the works of the Itinerant artists: V. Makovsky, M. Boskin, Usov, Voroshilov, etc. The exhibition presents dishes from Russian factories: Gardner, Popov, Kuznetsov, etc. unknown Western European factories. In the altar part of the temple there is a collection of ancient Russian paintings of the 16th-17th centuries, which is made up of icons kept in churches and cathedrals of the surrounding villages of the Yuryev-Polsky region, as well as the St. Michael the Archangel Monastery. On the ground floor of the Archimandrite building there is an exhibition “Peasantry and Agriculture of the Vladimir Opolye”. The exhibition opens with a diorama, sounded by the voices of birds, music and a story. Many exhibits and documents will help you understand the life, morals, and customs of people who lived in ancient times. Here are the decorations of the ancient Merya tribe, which inhabited our region, tools for cultivating the soil, and the interiors of peasant and landowner life. You will have to climb to the second floor along the “Staircase to History”, which will introduce you to the main historical stages of the Yuryevsky region.

On the second floor there is an exhibition “The History of Manufactory in Yuryev-Polsky District”, which begins with a chopped-down village hut. An integral part of her interior are objects reflecting weaving in village lighthouses. Among them are various types of spinning wheels, spindles, combs for carding flax, in a wall display case there are samples of linen cloth with printed patterns from the 18th century, samples of different stages of flax processing. The second hall shows the further development of weaving in the county. The history of the emergence of the weaving factory of the Yuryev merchants Ganshins and Ovsyannikovs. The interior of the manufacturers' living room is filled with a variety of objects reflecting the life of that time. Authentic documents tell about the activities of factory owners in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The museum owns a unique monument of the 13th century. St. George's Cathedral of Vladimir-Suzdal white stone architecture, which is rightfully considered a pearl. It was built in 1230-1234 by Prince Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich, the grandson of Yuri Dolgoruky. Stone carvings can be seen in many places of the Golden Ring, but here it is unique and special. You are parasitized by the bizarre chaos of wall sculptures. Beasts and monsters, saints and angels, fragments of fantastic stone garlands, engulfed in the jaws of lion masks, and fragments of the finest plant patterns form a mysterious mosaic. These are the first impressions experienced by everyone who sees St. George's Cathedral for the first time.

In St. George's Cathedral there is a "Crucifixion" or "Svyatoslav's Cross", which is one of the largest and most subject-based compositions of the decorative decoration of the cathedral. The crucifix is ​​especially revered by believers due to its miraculous powers. Those who wish, together with a guide, can take a tour of the city, where they will get acquainted with the architecture of the 19th-20th centuries.

Having passed through the arch of the monastery gate, you will find yourself in a quiet, cozy courtyard enclosed by brick walls. To the right of the entrance, the archimandrite building is buried in the aroma of fragrant lilacs. The first floor is occupied by the exhibition “Peasantry and Agriculture of the Vladimir Opolye”. The exhibition opens with a diorama, sounded by the voices of birds, music and a story. Many exhibits and documents will help you understand the life, morals, and customs of people who lived in ancient times. Here are the decorations of the ancient Merya tribe, which inhabited our region, tools for cultivating the soil, and the interiors of peasant and landowner life. You will have to climb to the second floor along the “Staircase to History”. This small exhibition introduces the main historical stages of the Yuryevsky region. Here is the founder of the city, Grand Duke Yuri Dolgoruky in chain mail and a princely cloak, and his grandson, the first appanage prince Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich, holding in the palm of his hand a model of the famous white-stone cathedral. Under the shadow of a beautiful white-trunked birch tree, in prayer for the human race, our fellow countryman, Rev. Nikon of Radonezh, disciple of the Great Sergius of Radonezh, abbot of the Russian land. The Monk Nikon was born in our city in 1352. Very young, he left his parents' home for the monastic life. His arrival at the Trinity Lavra of Sergeev was the beginning of the difficult monastic feat of the future Russian saint. On the site of his parents' house in the 19th century. They built a monastery, which is currently working to restore monastic life. Going up to the second floor, you will meet the real miracle of Opole - the haymaking season. It's time for bliss. The aromas of fragrant hay will stop even the most picky visitor. Near a small hay stack there are simple tools for haymaking. Noon, hot. It's time for rest and lunch. On a canvas towel there is a rye loaf, a basket with eggs and a jar of vigorous bread kvass. Yuryevskoye Opolye was famous not only for its farmers, but also for its weavers. Entering the halls of the second floor of the archimandrite building, you will immediately be convinced of this. The exhibition “Golden Lenok” will tell you about hand-made oil printing on canvases from the 18th to 19th centuries. You will see how meticulous, modern masters recognized the secret of printed patterns and repeated the miracle - patterns on modern canvases. Here you can also see hand-printed prints on chintz scarves by the Yuryev merchant Maslennikov. The museum stores a rich collection of ancient printed fabrics, which allows us to judge the great artistic taste and high skill of the masters of the 18th-19th centuries. V. For example, in 1784 there were 2 printing factories in the city that produced printed fabrics worth 6 thousand rubles. There were 2 silk factories in the district with an annual output of 14 thousand rubles. , there were six linen factories, and the annual income was 23 thousand rubles. Embroidery on canvas towels, cambric, mesh, lace weaving will simply enchant you with its extraordinary expressiveness, elegance, and imagination. Having looked at the work of modern weavers at the Avangard factory, you will be convinced that weaving masters have not disappeared even today. Plush with cut pile, soft to the touch, with a grassy pattern, with a geometric and abstract scattering of patterns, with a melodic color scheme attracts not only the eyes, but also the hands, you really want to touch the creation of the master weavers. Tapestry and tartan are more restrained and modest in their designs, thereby arousing respect. But jacquard towels, bright, colorful fireworks, drawings, inscriptions funny and serious, for children and adults. Fairy-tale scenes, pictures from your favorite cartoons, bouquets of flowers and exquisite ornaments evoke surprise and pride in our craftsmen. You will definitely want to buy such a towel, soft, fluffy, bright or, on the contrary, discreet or completely simple, plain, please buy it, there will always be a beautiful terry work of weaving art for you in the museum’s souvenir salon. To continue exploring the exhibitions, you need to leave the Archimandrite building and return to the monastery courtyard. Above the gates rises the Theological Church (1670), its facades are beautifully decorated with kokoshniks, a curb, a porch with a belt of square flies, and the windows are decorated with arched eyebrows. The church premises housed an art exhibition from the museum's collections. The visitor will see luxurious and varied exhibits. Icons from the 19th to 19th centuries occupy a worthy place in the exhibition. Most of them belong to the Vladimir-Suzdal school of icon painting, which is distinguished by its spirituality of images, soft colors and laconic design. It is impossible to pass by the royal gates of the 19th century indifferently. With the image of Basil the Great and John Chrysostom. The icons of the Apostle Paul and St. John the Baptist of the 19th century are particularly monumental. Large figures of saints occupy the entire plane of the icon board and are clearly perceived both up close and at a distance. The figures are shown in motion, they are flat and graphic. Particularly noteworthy is the icon of the Mother of God “Rejoices in You.” It is expensive and valuable because we know the master who wrote it. On the back is the inscription “wrote this image by Alexander son Ogarev.” Against the background of the bluish-greenish cathedral in the center is an image of the Mother of God of the “Sign” type. The icon is made in dark colors. The icon painter, working on the icon, marked on the drawing where what kind of paint should be put. Icons with such author's notes are very rare. “He rejoices in You” shows us the depth of Orthodox theology. The icon depicts one of the hymns of a church service. The porcelain collection will captivate with its diversity and originality. The floor vase “forest miracle” looks like a small, fairy-tale island where various forest animals take refuge. Even elegant Japanese porcelain found a place on the display shelf. What would an art exhibition be without portraits? The academic school is represented by four works. One of them, a portrait of a young woman, a mysterious stranger in a white transparent blanket. A deep look, a soft, barely noticeable smile, just a hint of it. A charming image of a woman shoots through the mind, opens the heart and you understand - this is the ideal of female beauty, this is the secret of femininity and love, this is what a woman was intended by the Creator, beauty is all in the soul, somewhere inside, deep, and the light breaks through through the eyes, the smile , face This miracle was created by the brush of Maria Kurt. The artist performed the work using the glazing technique, very technically, correctly, one can feel a warm, friendly attitude towards the depicted heroine. A wide variety of works by Itinerant artists is V.E. Makovsky, V.K. Lemokh, N.V. Boskin, T.I. Mozgov, K.V. Nikolaev. and others have left their brilliant works for us.

You can continue to examine the precious museum casket in the “Artistic Wood Carving” exhibition, which is located in the St. Michael the Archangel Cathedral (1809). This pillarless, apseless building has remarkable acoustic properties. Wall paintings have been preserved in the cathedral. Decorative carvings and wooden sculptures of the 16th-19th centuries. its components. An example of ancient Russian wooden sculpture are images of St. George the Victorious (XV century), St. Paraskeva-Pyatnitsa, St. Nicholas of Mozhaisk (XV11th century). The collection of carved royal gates opens with gates from the 16th century, made with surprisingly delicate, openwork, through carving. Gate XU11-XU111 centuries. testify to the great skill and subtle artistic taste of Russian carvers.

In the southern part of the monastery complex, in the same row with the archimandrite building, there is the Church of the Sign of 1625. In the church premises there is an exhibition dedicated to P.I. Bagration. The name of the famous commander, participant in the War of 1812, is closely connected with our region. He visited the village more than once. Sima, on the estate of a friend and relative, Prince B.A. Golitsyn. While in Sima, Bagration was appointed to be the commander-in-chief of the second western army, he was brought there seriously wounded after the Battle of Borodino, there he died, and was buried in the local church of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica. Documents, guns, banners, cannons, blunderbusses will tell about the events associated with the War of 1812. The main exhibit is considered to be a carriage, the work of the royal coachmaker Menzhelbier, on which the wounded commander was brought to the village of Sima. The exhibition is decorated with two interiors of the estate of the princes Golitsyn. Porcelain, writing instruments, a letter box, furniture made by German masters, books and portraits of the owners will help you transport yourself to those distant, glorious times of our Russia.

In the very center of the monastery courtyard is a beautiful bell tower. She is extremely monumental and representative. All planes of the facades are richly decorated. The bell tower is crowned by a tent with edges-protrusions on the ribs, with three tiers of dormer windows. There is an observation deck at the belfry. Admire the endless fields of Yuryevsky Opole. Fields, fields to the very horizon. Yuryev-Polsky is located on the territory of Vladimir Opolye. From south to north, Opole stretches for 30 km, from west to east for 70. Going down the spiral staircase, look into the “Monastic Cell” exhibition. All objects convey the atmosphere of the solitary and prayerful life of a monk. The monastery played a big role in the social, cultural and educational life of the city. Documents that have survived to this day are evidence of this. For example, in 1862, the monks took upon themselves the work of teaching children Russian literacy, church singing, the rudiments of the Law of God, the first operations of arithmetic and the rudiments of Russian grammar. To teach children in the listed sciences, the abbot, Archimandrite Gabriel, selects teachers from among the monks, and the leader of the Yuryev nobility, Alexey Vasilyevich Kalachev, “a rich apartment of four rooms, furniture, books, materials for writing”... On the floor above the cell is the exhibition “Bell Rings”. The entire history of bells is shown in exhibits and documents. In the display cases there are fragments of bells that local residents kept in secluded places.

Not far from the bell tower nestles the wooden Church of St. George (1718), a striking example of ancient, log-cut church churches. The roof is planked on two slopes, sharp, high. The drum and head are covered with aspen wood, reminiscent of a pine cone. The cross is also wooden. The church exudes warmth and homeland; it is beautiful at all times of the year. The craftsmen who made aspen lelekh received the surname Lelekhov, which is still alive today.

The museum owns a unique monument of the XIII century of Vladimir-Suzdal white stone architecture, St. George's Cathedral, which is rightfully considered a pearl. The cathedral was built in 1234 by Prince Svyatoslav Sh Vsevolodovich and is beautifully decorated with carvings from the base to the head. The builders of the first stone church in Moscow - the Assumption Cathedral (1326) - took St. George's Cathedral of our city as a model for its compositions. In the 60s of the 15th century. The cathedral collapsed diagonally from north-west to south-east. To restore the temple, which played such an important role in the initial history of the construction of Moscow, the famous Moscow builder V.D. Ermolin was sent to Yuryev. The beauty of the ancient carving captivated Ermolin; he carefully examined the stones, trying to establish a connection between them, but he could not assemble them as before. Only a few plot compositions were restored, and the rest of the stones were used to clad the facades of the cathedral. Stone carvings can be seen in many places of the Golden Ring, but here it is unique and special. The subject compositions and individual figures are made in high relief, and the entire surface of the walls is covered with a delicate floral pattern. There is reason to believe that the carving was carried out by two teams of masters: one carved figured high reliefs, the other carved low ornamental backgrounds. Artistic analysis shows that the carving was made by Russian, Vladimir-Suzdal masters and only the main carver was invited from Galich.

The content of the high reliefs is varied: here is the Holy Great Martyr George, the heavenly patron of the founder of the city, the seven youths who fell asleep in Ephesus, lions with tree-shaped tails and protruding tongues, figures of saints and female masks, dragons, griffins, centaurs, the Sirin bird, and many other patterns , which makes you stop in amazement at this miracle. The white stone sculpture of St. George's Cathedral contains a total of 450 reliefs. Inside the cathedral, as a wonderful monument to the piety of the holy prince Svyatoslav, there is a life-giving cross. Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich came to venerate the cross built by the holy prince, who created the cathedral itself. Reverently before this shrine, the sovereign, according to the testimony of ancient acts, released everything necessary from his royal bounty.

Next to the ticket office there is a small, cozy souvenir shop where, as a good memory of visiting the museum, you can buy terry towels from a local factory, a variety of Gusev crystal products, various handicrafts by local craftsmen, and aromatic, healing, floral honey from Yuryevsky apiaries.

The small town of Yuryev-Polsky is dear to the Russian soul and those who visit it will admire the ancient beauty. The silence and space of vast fields. He will certainly want to come back here more than once.

Wedding.

One of the unusual forms of the museum’s work is the organization of collective visits to the museum during a family wedding celebration. This event is called “Golden Ring of Love Honeymoon”. The wedding cortege arrives at the main entrance of the museum. In the monastery courtyard, the newlyweds and their numerous guests are greeted by museum staff in national costumes with traditional hospitality. The loaf presented in the museum symbolizes their further joint work for the common good and serves as a wish for a strong family. Employees welcome the young couple according to specially designed scenarios. So, for example, according to one of them, the national bear congratulates the newlyweds on their wedding day. As you know, in Russian folklore the figure is colorful and wonderful. A bright, smiling, kind and elegant life-size doll gives all participants of the holiday a good mood, a charge of vivacity, adds energy, enthusiasm, strength and leaves an unforgettable impression of the special day. Museum halls provide an excellent opportunity to capture a special event on photo and film.

Our museum hosts various classes for children, one of them is “Ancient art - tiles.” In this lesson, children get acquainted with the relief tiles that existed in the Vladimir region, learn why the tile is called that, where the tiles were used and where they are used, how the tile differs from modern tiles. The children get acquainted with the technology of making tiles and enjoy making them themselves from salt dough.

For preschool and school-age children, staff developed a scenario for the mass event “Under the Christmas Star.” A fabulous, unique performance dedicated to the Orthodox holiday. Four people voice over 10 characters in the Christmas event. The Magi, the Virgin Mary, Joseph, a Christmas tree, a snowstorm, shepherds... A life-size bear puppet and a cheerful goat play with the children. Children take part in exciting quizzes, games, dance in a circle, sing, dance and read poetry.

Exhibition “The Past Fate of My Land”

Anniversaries are different. Anniversaries are celebrated by writers, poets, and actors. MBUK "Yuryev-Polsky Historical, Architectural and Art Museum" is preparing for the anniversary of the historical event. On April 21 - 22, 1216, the Battle of Lipitsa took place 10 km north of the city of Yuryev-Polsky, near the village of Gorodishchi (the ancient city of Mstislavl). It includes the floodplain of the Vaga River (the chronicle Tuneg stream), the adjacent slopes of two hills (the chronicle mountains of Avdov and Yuryev) and a moist meadow turning into a swamp. From the south and west, large swamps adjoin the area, now almost drained. This one of the largest battles in ancient Rus' received its name from the Lipitsa River, near which a terrible fratricidal war took place between the combined militia of the Novgorodians under the command of Prince Mstislav the Udal, who took the side of Konstantin Vsevolodovich, and the Suzdal army under the command of princes Yaroslav and Yuri Vsevolodovich and their younger brothers. slashing. The reason for this was the resentment of Vsevolod's eldest son Constantine, who was deprived by his father of the right to occupy the Grand Duke's throne, against his younger brother George, who inherited the rights of the Grand Duke. Chroniclers mourned this terrible battle, in which son went against father, brother against brother. In one day, April 21, 1216, 9,233 Russian soldiers died in this battle. Some historiographers believe that this is only from the Vladimir-Suzdal side.

In honor of the anniversary of the historical event, a mini-exhibition “The Past Fate of My Land” opened on March 21, where museum visitors can get acquainted with archaeological objects: parts of horse harness, weapons and household items. The exhibition features a replica of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich’s helmet, provided to the museum by a local resident, local historian Sergei Evdokimov. Visitors are also offered a colorful range of information: enlarged copies of pages from the Front Chronicle of the 16th century, images of military equipment of soldiers of that era, a map of the location of the principalities and a detailed description of the battle.

In the exhibition “Peasantry and Agriculture of the Vladimir Opolye” of the Yuryev-Polsky Historical, Architectural and Art Museum, an adapted lecture is being held for children - an excursion “The Golden Spikelet”. The children get acquainted with the development of agriculture in our region and the first tools of labor. Children learn that a loaf of bread begins with a grain, and before it gets to the table, it goes through many different transformations: people of different professions take part in its production. In conclusion, the guys try a hot loaf straight from the “Russian oven” and play the exciting game “Collect a spikelet.” Throughout the lecture, special attention is paid to careful and respectful treatment of bread. Also, the children are introduced to modern agricultural machines through photographs, which have replaced the hard manual labor of the plowman.

The mini-exhibition “And they glorified the Fatherland with sword and word...” is open for viewing by visitors in the exposition dedicated to P.I. Bagration and the Vladimir participants in the War of 1812. The main goals: to contribute to the activation of the museum’s educational work to foster spirituality among the younger generation and to help present a picture of a national feat. The showcase displays archival documents and photocopies related to the People's War and military household items from the 19th century. The exhibition will run until the end of 2016.

Since October 7, the museum’s office has opened an exhibition – boudoir “True beauty and femininity is timeless.” When creating it, the team of authors sought to show the elegant and sophisticated world of a woman. Visitors are presented with elegant jewelry, marvelous boxes with secrets, shoes, as well as objects of decorative and applied art.

Date created: 01/31/2017 Date last modified: 02/16/2018

Yuriev-Polsky monasteries and monasteries

On the territory of Yuryev-Polsky and its environs there are several monasteries, whose fate is closely intertwined with the history of Russia.

St. Vvedensky Nikon Monastery

• Address: Kalanchevsky Lane.

Historians cannot say exactly when the Holy Vvedensky Monastery was built. The first written mentions of the convent date back to the first half of the 17th century. It is believed that the Nikon Church was built on the site of the house where St. Nikon of Radonezh, the spiritual son and disciple of St. Sergius of Radonezh, was born.

At the beginning of the 18th century, a fire destroyed two monastery churches, leaving only St. Nicholas Church. Half a century later, on the site of the burnt wooden buildings, the stone Vvedensky Cathedral with stucco “kokoshniks” above the windows and neat carvings arose. A little later, the temple was complemented by a four-tier high bell tower - the tallest building in the city.

The fire of 1871 disrupted the quiet life of the monastery. All buildings were in disrepair, which is why the continued existence of the monastery was in jeopardy. The nuns and novices were moved to the parish of the Church of Peter and Paul, where over time the Peter and Paul Monastery was formed.

Under the Bolsheviks, the Holy Vvedensky Monastery was finally abolished, the beautiful bell tower was destroyed, and the spacious church premises were used as warehouses. Today the monastery is being restored after numerous upheavals of the 20th century, already in the status of a male monastery complex.

Michael the Archangel Monastery

• Address: Yuryevsky Kremlin.

One of the oldest communities in Russia and a real architectural reserve, the Archangel Michael Monastery is both an active monastery and the main museum of the area.

The monastery grew up on the ramparts of the more ancient Yuryev-Polsky Kremlin. It is believed that the monastery was founded by Prince Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich. The first monastery buildings from the 13th century have not survived; the earliest buildings date back to the mid-17th century. The most valuable buildings from the point of view of history are the Znamenskaya refectory church, the tented bell tower and the gate church of St. ap. John the Theologian. The main cathedral of the Archangel Michael, as well as the archimandrite and fraternal buildings were built in the 18th century.

The history of the monastery is very tragic. Due to its geographical location, Yuryev-Polsky repeatedly found himself in the path of invaders marching on Moscow and was attacked by enemies. Along with the entire city, foreigners also destroyed the Archangel Michael Monastery. The long-suffering monastery literally rose from the ashes four times. Over the years, the khans Batu, Tokhtamysh and Edigei sought to destroy Orthodox churches, burned buildings, and killed the monastic brethren. In the 17th century, similar misfortunes were brought about by Polish invaders.

The last serious test for the monastery was anti-church persecution during the Soviet period. The monastic community was banned, and the buildings housed museum exhibitions that are still open to this day. Currently, monastic life is being resumed on the territory of the museum, and services are again held in the Church of St. Michael the Archangel.

Monastery of St. ap. Peter and Paul

• Address: Krasny Poselok quarter.

According to some sources, the Peter and Paul Convent was founded back in the 16th century, but all known stone buildings date back to the 19th century. The center of the monastery was the Cathedral of Peter and Paul, and the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary stood nearby. Several decades later, the temples fell to the communists; only the luxurious five-tiered bell tower survived. The monastic lands were transferred to the Krasnoselsky state farm. In 2010, the revival of the monastery began. Only the walls of the old churches remain, so services are held in the former cemetery Church of the Ascension of the Lord.

St. Nicholas Monastery

• Address: Novoe village, 11.

The convent is located not far from Yuryev-Polsky - in the village of Novoe. Stone Church of St. Nicholas of Myra grew up in 1826 on the site of an old wooden building. Initially it was a simple parish church. In Soviet times, the Church of St. St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was one of two regional churches that escaped closure and destruction.

Knowing this, believers brought church valuables here. The church became the custodian of the five great shrines of the region - the miraculous icons of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the 70s, a small community of several secret nuns formed in the parish. In 1995, the community received a bishop's blessing and began to officially be called a convent.

Monastery and museum under one roof

The Archangel Michael Monastery in the city of Yuryev-Polsky is at the same time a monastery, a large historical and architectural complex, and an art museum. Such proximity does not disturb either museum workers or monastics. Here tourists willingly participate in church services, pilgrims look at museum exhibitions with interest, and the museum director sings in the choir.

The city of Yuryev-Polsky began with a fortress, which was founded by order of its founder, Prince Yuri Dolgorukov. And the fortress was surrounded by earthen ramparts. The fortress walls have not survived, but the earthen ramparts can still be seen today. They surround the Archangel Michael Monastery, founded in the 13th century by the grandson of Yuri Dolgorukov, Prince Svyatoslav Fedorovich.

How Pyotr Baranovsky saved the monastery

After the revolution of 1917, the monastery in the very center of the city was closed, the new government was going to demolish it. The monastery was saved by the architect and restorer Pyotr Baranovsky, who proposed opening a museum in the monastery premises. By that time, the city already had a small local history museum, which was huddled in two rooms of a local school. Its exhibits included artistic treasures and household items nationalized from local landowners and merchants, as well as from churches and monasteries. This museum moved to the monastery in 1922. Over the past 90-plus years, the museum’s collection has grown significantly; today it numbers over 10 thousand items. Many exhibits not only have federal significance, but also belong to the federal treasury. The museum complex includes several churches, a chapel, a beautiful 17th-century hipped bell tower, and a two-story Archimandrite building.

Photo by Sergei Petrov

The most famous “exhibit” of the Yuryev-Polish Museum is the white stone St. George Cathedral of the 13th century, the last masterpiece of church architecture of pre-Mongol Rus', with unique stone carvings. Its strange animals and birds, saints and angels looking from the walls have long been distributed across all catalogs of the ancient Russian culture of the Vladimir-Suzdal land. The cathedral was built by Prince Svyatoslav. Inside the cathedral there is another unique exhibit - the Svyatoslav cross, which the prince himself carved out of stone in memory of his miraculous salvation.

Nobody wanted war

In such an extensive museum complex within the walls of the Archangel Michael Monastery, monastic life began to be revived in 2006. The abbot of the monastery, Abbot Afanasy (Selichev), recalls that he became acquainted with the city of Yuryev-Polsky and the monastery much earlier than he was appointed abbot here. In 1995, he became the abbot of another monastery - St. Kosma Yakhromsky in the village of Byloye, Yuryev-Polsky district, 25 km from the current place of service. On monastic affairs, Father Afanasy had to visit Yuryev-Polsky, since it is a regional center. “You’ll come here by bus, you’ll redo things... and where else to go? You go to the museum, and there you will be met by Nadezhda Anatolyevna Egorova, who was still the chief curator at that time. A believer. Let's sit down and have tea with her and talk. And in the conversation they came to the idea: how nice it would be to open a monastery here.

The rector of the monastery is Archimandrite Afanasy (Selichev). Photo by Sergei Petrov

True, the then director, Tatyana Ivanovna, answered us every time that until she retired, we would not open anything. Nadezhda Anatolyevna and I looked at each other: okay, let’s wait.” And they waited. In 2000, Father Afanasy was transferred to Petushki to build the Church of St. Athanasius of Kovrov and a gymnasium with it. “In 2006, when we built the church and launched the gymnasium, Metropolitan Evlogy of Vladimir and Suzdal told me: “Afanasy, stop being lazy, go back to the monastery.” - “Which one, sir?” “Let’s open Mikhailovsky in Yuryev-Polsky.” This is how Father Afanasy received the lord’s blessing. Nadezhda Anatolyevna, who by that time had become the director of the museum, was also in favor. Then an agreement was signed with the museum on the joint use of the monastery.

This mutual desire of the monastery governor and the museum director to exist within the same walls is the main condition for success in this story. Nadezhda Egorova worked at the Yuryev-Polish Museum for 27 years. She is a well-known professional in the Russian museum community, and at the same time a church person. As Father Afanasy notes, Egorova did not subordinate her professionalism as a museum worker to churchism - she simply looked at things intelligently. She did not want any war between the museum and the monastery, because, in her opinion, there are no winners on this battlefield, everyone suffers defeat.

In the agreement on joint use, the museum and the monastery stipulated that the museum would use the St. Michael the Archangel Cathedral for religious services. And there at that time there was an exhibition of wooden sculptures. They took up a lot of space, interfered with the service, and in large numbers they looked strange in the space of the church. Museum workers left only a few sculptures and removed the rest. Employees of other museums who came to the monastery called this decision of the museum director vandalism and were outraged that most of the exhibition was transferred to the funds. They even threatened to complain against Egorova. “Of course, they can also be understood,” Nadezhda Anatolyevna tries to explain the logic of the behavior of her fellow museum workers. — There has been a museum here for more than 90 years. Everyone knows and loves him. We have settled down here and feel like masters. But I always say that Prince Svyatoslav did not build a museum, he built a princely monastery. A service should be held in the temple, not an exhibition. My colleagues from our museum supported me.”

Captive Shrines

Father Afanasy, continuing this thought, says that museum workers in Soviet times saved a lot of the Church’s shrines, but today the time has come when the shrines need to be returned for what they were created for - for worship. “When I go into the storerooms of our museum, not to mention the Hermitage, the Russian Museum, the Tretyakov Gallery, and see these dark rooms with shelves in which, as if in a prison, images that are alive to me are languishing, I want to cry. This is a captive shrine - I grieve for it very much. And I’m not alone.” Father Afanasy moved from words to actions. St. Michael the Archangel Cathedral was decorated with shrines that had been kept in museum collections for many decades - hanging chandeliers and candlesticks from the 16th century. The Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God from the 17th century was hung in the narthex. Nadezhda Anatolyevna recalls that this image is of such amazing beauty that many people, entering the cathedral and seeing this icon, literally froze in front of it. The museum contains more than 300 pieces of relics, and they were exhibited for the veneration of believers.

Photo by Sergei Petrov

The restoration of monastic life occurred gradually. After decades of neglect of liturgical life, the cathedral had to be seriously restored. There was no iconostasis, no solea, no ambo; in the altar there was only a temporary wooden table. And the museum took an active part in the revival of the cathedral. Father Afanasy recalls that through prayer, people appeared who were ready to donate money or physically help. The priest retells his conversation on the phone with Bishop Evlogii: “Athanasius, you say that you don’t have a chandelier.” - “Yes, sir, you saw it.” - “My brother, Abbot Nikon replaced the chandelier at the Athos courtyard, take the old one, it’s luxurious.” - “Bless me... How can I bring it?” - “Yes, he will bring it to you.” And indeed, they brought it, and the museum workers helped hang it.

Tower house for the abbot

Willingness to help and mutual assistance helped the museum and the monastery to establish a common life. The brethren in the monastery are small - the governor, the hieromonk and two monks, but they also had to live somewhere and run the household. There is nowhere to find free space. Monastery towers were allocated for the residence of monks. Father Afanasy clarifies that at that time these towers were hollow brick pipes, with an earthen floor below and a wooden roof on top. Within a year we managed to make them suitable for life. Both wealthy benefactors and museum workers helped with this. Three floors appeared in the tower where the father-vicar settled. On the first floor there is an entrance hall, a toilet and a kitchen, on the second there is a cell, and on the third there is an office with an extensive library of ancient and modern church books, which Father Afanasy has been collecting for many years.

The monks had to store food somewhere. Then the monastery and the museum wrote an application to the State Inspectorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage Monuments for permission to adapt the basement of the bell tower, which was originally intended for this purpose. It was necessary not only to obtain permission, but to make a project and get it approved.

“We all had to endure and humble ourselves,” says Nadezhda Anatolyevna. “Father Afanasy understood that the monastery would have to make room, that there was nowhere to move the museum and that it would be necessary to get along in the premises and on the territory that were there. Various tourists have come and come to us, some in shorts, some with bare shoulders. Of course, they don’t come to the monastery in such clothes, but we can’t not let them in, they came to the museum. Or children run around in a noisy crowd when they come on excursions. And the monks have to endure all this. But we always tried to explain to our visitors that we not only have a museum, but also a functioning monastery, and that we must behave accordingly here.”

Photo by Sergei Petrov

When the museum merged with the monastery, new interesting pilgrimage programs appeared, which included not only visits to the Archangel Michael Monastery, but also other nearby holy places. Attendance has increased significantly. The museum began to hold joint holidays with the monastery. In the summer, a lawn is formed behind the bell tower, on which a temporary stage is installed. Interesting concerts are held here, including sacred music. Many people gather on July 8 for a holiday in honor of Peter and Fevronia. As Nadezhda Anatolyevna explains: “They are “ours” - mother-in-law and father-in-law. Our prince Svyatoslav was married to their daughter Evdokia. Therefore, for us it is almost a home holiday.”

Frozen restoration

This well-established joint life of the museum and the monastery is complicated today by the suddenly frozen restoration. According to the current director of the museum, Svetlana Borisova (she has been working in this position for more than a year), five years ago a project for the comprehensive restoration of the Archangel Michael Monastery was developed and approved. Then emergency work was carried out in the gate church of St. John the Evangelist, on the walls and towers. But the restoration work stopped there, since the Ministry of Culture did not allocate funds to continue it.

“We applied through the head of our municipality, signed by the governor of the Vladimir region, to the Ministry of Culture, personally to Medinsky, with a request for funding to complete the restoration of the begun objects and continue it on other monastery buildings, which are also in great need of it. In February of this year, we received a response to the governor of our region that funding is limited and now the money has been allocated to our neighbors - Gorokhovets, which is celebrating its 850th anniversary, and Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda, where anniversary events are also taking place.”

Today, the main entrance to the museum through the Gate Church is closed by an iron fence; the temple itself has been standing in the woods for three years. Father Afanasy says that due to emergency work in the towers, the monks had to move from there to apartments outside the walls of the monastery. They cannot yet return back to their monastic cells, since they are ruined. In the near future, neither the city of Yuryev-Polsky nor the St. Michael the Archangel Monastery are expecting high-profile anniversaries for which the Ministry of Culture could allocate funds. So the museum and the monastery will have to wait again.

Temples and churches of the city

Yuryev-Polsky, like every ancient Russian city, is rich in churches. Many priceless examples of ancient architecture have survived to this day.

Church of the Nativity

• Address: per. Avant-garde.

The Church of the Nativity forms a single complex together with the Boris and Gleb Church. Services in the spacious five-domed Church of the Nativity of Christ took place in the summer, while the younger Church of Boris and Gleb was used during cold weather. The latter was significantly smaller in size, making it easier to heat. The low temple with small windows retained heat even in severe frosts.

During the Soviet years, both churches were looted and converted into dairy factory workshops, which greatly damaged the ancient buildings. The bell tower was dismantled to its foundations. After the collapse of the Union, restoration work began, which continues successfully to this day.

Church of the Life-Giving Trinity

• Address: st. May 1st.

One of the youngest temples in the city surpasses many ancient religious buildings in its scale and splendor. The luxurious red-brick cathedral with lush decoration in neo-Russian style marked the three-century anniversary of the Romanov dynasty. The temple did not last long; two years after the opening, the Revolution took place. The Soviet government did not spare the architectural masterpiece: the cathedral was beheaded and closed, church values ​​disappeared without a trace. Several years ago the church was transferred to the Archangel Michael Monastery. At the moment, the cathedral is undergoing restoration.

Church of St. Nikita Martyr

• Address: st. Pokrovskaya.

The small, but very beautiful and cozy Nikitskaya Church was built at the end of the 18th century. The classic building attracts attention from afar thanks to the bright combination of white, red, green and blue colors. The outside of the building is decorated with antique porticoes with columns. The drum is dotted with numerous windows, thanks to which the inside of the temple is well lit even in cloudy weather.

The Temple of Nikita the Martyr was able to survive when the Bolsheviks came to power, but was closed at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. A car repair shop opened on the premises. Where once there had been chants and the scent of incense, there was now the sound of metal clinking and the smell of exhaust fumes. In the year of the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus', the building was returned to the Church and completely restored. Today the church is open to believers.

St. George's Church (wooden)

• Address: Yuryevsky Kremlin.

A small log church of an unusual shape was built in the village of Yegorye (Egoriy) at the beginning of the 18th century. Talented architects created a temple without nails, using only axes. According to some sources, the church belonged to the St. George Monastery of the mid-16th century, which ceased to exist several centuries ago. In the mid-20th century, the building was transported to the Archangel Michael Monastery. A few meters from the church there is a small Nadkladeznaya chapel. A wooden chapel covers a well filled with water from a holy spring.

Intercession Church

• Address: st. Embankment.

The modern stone Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary stands on the site of a burnt wooden church built in 1712. According to the plan of its founder, monk Kirill, the temple was to become the center of the Intercession Convent, but the monastic community lasted only a few years. The nuns moved to the Holy Vvedensky Monastery, and the church became a simple lay parish.

After some time, a fire incinerated the wooden building. The new stone structure was erected in one year with donations from local residents. Already in 1769, the church opened its doors to parishioners.

In the 19th century, the temple was decorated with a magnificent three-tier bell tower with stained glass windows. After the Revolution, the architectural monument was turned into a workshop. In the 90s the temple was returned to the Church. Nowadays, many pilgrims from all over the country come to the Intercession Church to venerate the relics of the holy noble prince Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich, found shortly before the revival of the church.

Trinity Church in the village. Podolets

• Address: Podolets village.

The unique two-tier temple was erected in 1659 on the estate of the princes Miloslavsky. Inside there were four chapels: the Life-Giving Trinity, St. Joachim and Anna, ap. Andrew the First-Called and St. Mary of Egypt. Several members of the noble family are buried in the lower temple. The USSR did not appreciate the splendor of the church, and for many decades the ancient building was destroyed under the influence of natural elements. Today, thanks to the work of restorers, the temple has received a chance for a new life and is slowly being restored.

Religious buildings of Yuryev-Polsky

Yuryev-Polsky, whose attractions include numerous temples from the times of Ancient Rus' before the Tatar invasion, will not leave any person indifferent. Many monasteries have been preserved here in their original form or with minor changes after reconstruction. When visiting holy places, you can feel the purity and sublimity that fills the air and the surrounding area.

St. George's Cathedral

The temple was built in 1230 during the reign of Prince Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich. In the middle of the 15th century, the outer walls were partially destroyed. Architects from Moscow were invited for restoration. During reconstruction, the appearance was greatly changed, which negatively affected the stone carvings.

Now the cathedral attracts tourists with its white stone appearance in excellent condition. The walls have preserved some fragments of carvings on a biblical theme with the faces of saints. There is a Svyatoslav cross installed in the temple, which pilgrims and tourists come to worship.

• The cathedral is located on 1st May Street, no. 4.
• Visiting hours: Mon 9:00-14:30, Wed-Sun 9:00-17:00.
• Admission is paid - from 40 rubles.

Church of Nikita the Martyr

The building is distinguished by its unusual architecture, which attracts with its extraordinary beauty. The temple was created in the 18th century. The style of classicism with white stone columns was chosen for the façade. The building was decorated with a large number of narrow windows, which visually enlarge the space and let in a large amount of sunlight. There is a small dome on the roof.

In 1941, the monastery was closed and a bus station was placed inside. In the 80s, the building was returned to the church, which began restoration work. The first service was held in 1988. Now this is one of the favorite places for tourists and locals. The church is located at the address: Naberezhnaya Street.

Michael the Archangel Monastery

The building has existed since the beginning of the 13th century. During this time, the monastery was destroyed 4 times - during the Mongol invasion, in the Time of Troubles of the 17th century. Before the construction of the monastery, there was a Kremlin here. The monastery consists of a monastery, a bell tower, a refectory, the Cathedral of St. John the Theologian, and the Znamenskaya refectory church.

On the territory of the monastery, the St. George Church, made of wood, has been preserved. In the summer, servants create a beautiful garden of medicinal herbs. Nowadays, many rooms house exhibitions of the Historical and Architectural Museum.

• The temple is located on 1st May Street, no. 4.
• You can visit: Mon from 9:00 to 14:30, Wed-Sun from 9:00 to 17:00.
• To inspect all areas the price is 250 rubles.

Church of the Nativity

In the 18th century, on the site of the destroyed monastery, a new building of the Church of the Nativity of Christ was built from wood. White stone was used for the walls. The façade was decorated with national decorative elements. Under the communists, the temple was closed, and the premises were given over to a dairy factory with a printing house. The bell tower was destroyed and all the furnishings were looted.

At the end of the twentieth century. The church was restored and services resumed. Restorers were able to recreate the former appearance of the building , which attracts guests to the city. Located on the lane. Avangardsky, 6.

St. Vvedensky Nikon Monastery

The exact date of construction of the temple is not known. The first documentary mention of the monastery was found in 1628. This year the building of the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was erected.

In the middle of the 17th century, the wooden church was rebuilt into a stone one. 100 years later, the Vvedensky Cathedral with five domes and decorated with rich decorative elements was erected nearby. Fires often occurred on the territory of the monastery, but the premises were constantly restored.

After the revolution, the temple was closed. There were warehouses with workshops on the territory. Now the monastery has been restored. The monastery operates as usual. Located on the lane. Kalanchevsky, 5.

Architecture and beautiful buildings

Yuryev-Polsky is a place of contrasts. Typical five-story buildings alternate with ancient buildings, thanks to which you can trace the development of urban architecture from ancient times to the present day.

Shopping arcades

• Address: pl. Soviet.

Trading premises, traditional for many Russian cities, appeared in Yuryev-Polsky in the 18th century. A hundred years later, a strong fire destroyed the wooden buildings, and soon a new building arose in their place, which has survived to this day. The Yuriev-Polsky ranks made a small contribution to domestic cinema: in the 60s of the last century, the film “The Golden Calf” with S. Yursky in the title role was filmed here. While walking along the Trade Rows, tourists can do two pleasant and useful things at once - examine the architectural monument and buy the necessary goods in the shops located in it.

Barn

• Address: per. Avangardsky, 3.

The unremarkable red building made of simple brick is an architectural monument of the 19th century. For a long time, merchant goods were stored here, but during the years of “dekulakization” the building was recognized as socialist property and turned into a city warehouse.

Fire station

• Address: Vladimirskaya st., 12.

The interesting brick building in the Gothic style has been well preserved despite its hundred years of age. The depot has been used for its intended purpose at all times, under any government. In some rooms dance evenings and theatrical performances were held, in others fire engines were waiting to be called. The gray building with its unusual shape stands out among other city buildings.

Almshouse of the Meshcherins

• Address: st. May 1st, 16.

The remarkable two-story red brick building was erected at the beginning of the 20th century with the money of local philanthropist G.I. Meshcherina. The almshouse accommodated more than 150 people of both sexes, mainly townspeople and old merchants. Currently, the former almshouse continues to benefit people: the central hospital of the region operates in the building.

Shevelkin Inn

• Address: 1st May Street, 33.

Good, memorable photos are also taken against the backdrop of this architectural landmark of Yuryev-Polsky. The building of the Shevelkins' inn was built approximately at the end of the 19th century, in the form of a two-story building with a blue and white facade and beautiful, bordered windows. The entrance is crowned by a pretty porch.

Khlebnikov's shop

• Address: st. 1st May, 4.

In the central part of the city, almost every building is an object of cultural heritage of municipal or federal significance. So is the former Khlebnikov Shop, built in the 19th century and a decoration of the city limits. As before, today there is a store offering food products here.

Natural attractions of Yuryev-Polsky

The city is located in the famous Opole, Vladimir region, so there are few forests here. The settlement mainly contains artificial parks. Despite the open area, it is pleasant to walk along the streets here. The weather is characterized by mild, comfortable temperatures; there is no need to hide from the hot sun.

Honeymooners Park

The park was created in 2010 in honor of Saints Peter and Fevronia, symbolizing the example of an ideal family. Now this is one of the most popular places for romantic meetings of young couples. 2 large metal rings connected to each other were installed in the park. The rings bear the inscription “Advice and Love,” which is considered a good wish for a new union.

For a happy family life, newlyweds are recommended to pass through these rings holding hands. Rowan trees with flower beds are planted along the alleys. Walking through the park you can find the “Kissing Bridge”, where couples often take vows of love to each other.

At the "Glade of Brides" flower beds are planted in the shape of a heart. On the wedding day, people always come here for spectacular photographs and necessary rituals. Park address: st. May 1st.

Sandy beach of the Nerl River

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to swim within the city in the summer. The Koloksha River has become quite dirty in recent years, so swimming in its waters is prohibited. Residents are advised to travel outside the city to the Nerl River. The water in the river is clean and warm, where you can relax and refresh yourself after a walk around the city.

To get to the beach you need to go towards Mstislavl. Before reaching the settlement 10 km, there will be a fork. Here you need to turn left, where the village of Petryaikha will be. The beach is on the opposite bank, accessible by bridge. The river is shallow, so children can splash freely. Fishing enthusiasts can enjoy their favorite pastime from the bridge.

Park on the territory of the Apraksin estate

The estate is located in the village of Ratislovo. The park has existed since the 18th century. The owners constantly updated the park with unique trees. The alleys are made using a classic style.

There are 8 artificial ponds on the territory, which are interconnected. The park has survived to this day. Residents respect and improve the appearance of bushes and paths along which you can walk at any time of the year.

Monuments and memorial complexes

The monuments of Yuryev-Polsky are in one way or another connected with its rich history, however, as in other cities of the Central District, for example, Vladimir or Ryazan .

Monument to Yuri Dolgoruky

• Address: Vladimirskaya street.

The granite prince surveys his creation from a high pedestal on the main square of the city. The sculpture of the founder was installed in 2002. next to the current Honeymooners' Park. The founder of the city is depicted in full height, with majestic posture. With one hand he leans on the sword, with the other he holds a flowing cloak. Behind Yuri Dolgoruky are the domes of the Archangel Michael Monastery. At the foot of the pedestal, two stone lions bare their teeth - a symbol of power, courage and nobility.

Soldiers' Memorial

• Address: 1 May Street.

In a small park next to the Historical and Art Museum there is a white monument to all the soldiers and officers who died in the Great Patriotic War. On the right side of the sculptural composition, stern warriors are depicted, on the left - inconsolable mothers and wives. Men and women are separated by a grave stele topped with a star. The inscription on the monument reads: “No one is forgotten, nothing is forgotten.” The Eternal Flame is lit in front of the memorial. The monument conveys the grief of the residents of Yuryev-Polsky: out of 11 thousand townspeople, 8 thousand did not return from the war.

Monument to those killed in the Second World War

• Address: Naberezhnaya street.

Another memorial dedicated to the Great Patriotic War. The composition consists of five parts. In the center, on the gray monuments, a red granite star is burning, under it is a slab of the same material, repeating the shape of the Yuryev-Polsky region. The inscription on the plate reads: “Dedicated to our fellow countrymen.” On both sides there are four gray slabs with plaques, which indicate by name each Yuryevite who was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Every year fresh flowers are laid at the memorial.

Monument to doctors

• Address: Central District Hospital district.

A modest monument was erected next to the Central Regional Hospital. The dark stone depicts a golden star in a wreath. The monument is dedicated to all medical workers, doctors and nurses who died at the hands of the German invaders during the Great Patriotic War.

Monument to the 850th anniversary of the city

• Address: 1 May Street.

A stone worship cross was erected near the walls of the Archangel Michael Monastery in the anniversary year of 2002. The monument is a tribute to the centuries-old history of the settlement, its rich Orthodox culture and the difficult trials that befell the local residents.

Topic: The best attractions of the Vladimir region

Where to go in Yuryev-Polsky with children

For a child, there is, frankly speaking, very little entertainment in the city of Yuryev-Polsky. But you can still find a place where children will have fun.

Children's entertainment

• Address: Krasnooktyabrskaya st., 1A.

In the city center, next to the City Market, this leisure center offers some memorable activities for children. The townspeople regularly bring their hell here, judging by the reviews, because in fact there are few such facilities here. Children are brought here with their parents so that they can look after their children. Soft blocks, small trampolines, inflatable slides, a dry pool with toys - all this is waiting for your child.

Victory Park

Photo: © https://maps.google.com/maps/contrib/109502934084084867793

• Coordinates on the map: 56.508516, 39.664045.

Probably the most famous public garden in the city, its only competitor - the Ganshin City Estate Park - offers practically nothing for family recreation, presenting a pitiful sight. However, in Victory Park there is also not much interesting for children. But here, on the banks of the beautiful Koloksha River, the breath is simply amazing, and the photos against the backdrop of natural beauty are memorable.

See also the sights of other cities of the Vladimir region - Alexandrov, Kirzhach, Petushkov, Sudogda, Kolchugino, Kidekshi, Vyaznikov, Bogolyubovo, Murom and Suzdal

Yuriev-Polsky is a reflection of different eras. Like an ancient elder, he wisely looks at modernity and invites you to take a break from the external bustle, to reflect on the passage of time and your existence in the vast world. Yuryev-Polsky is perfect for everyone who wants to dive into the depths of centuries and look at life with different eyes.