Vladimir



Vladimir (Владимир) is the capital and the largest city of Vladimir Oblast. The city is one of the most visited destinations within the popular Golden Ring circuit, as it preserves several of the finest monuments of white-stone medieval architecture in Russia, along with a number of later buildings from the 16th–20th centuries.

Geography
Vladimir is in the central part of the Eastern-European plain, on a steep hill beside the Klyazma River. The land to the north from the city is known as Vladimir Fields (Владимирское Ополье), while the land to the south is mainly covered by forests.

Orientation
Vladimir is somewhat elongated along the river that forms its southern boundary. From the north, the city is bounded by a "semi-circle" road, formerly a part of the M7 highway. Inside the city, small rivers flow into the Klyazma and form deep valleys that were used as fortifications.

The inner layout of Vladimir is fairly simple. The main street runs roughly from west to east close to the Klyazma River and passes through the historical centre. Different parts of this street have different names: Московское шоссе (entry from Moscow) – проспект Ленина – улица Студёная гора – Дворянская улица – Большая Московская улица – Большая Нижегородская улица – Добросельская улица (entry from Nizhny Novgorod). Several major streets branch off to the north, cross the "semi-circle" road and turn into the roads towards Suzdal and Ivanovo (Суздальское шоссе) or Yuryev-Polsky (улица Горького). A single street (Муромское шоссе) also runs to the south, crosses the river and continues towards Sudogda, Murom, and Gus-Khrustalnyi.

The main sights, along with a number of hotels and restaurants, are found in the historical centre, close to Bolshaya Moskovskaya Ulitsa (Большая Московская улица). If you arrive to Vladimir from Moscow, you enter this part of the city at the Golden Gate. Moving further to the east, one leaves the historical centre after passing the Nativity Monastery and the Hotel Vladimir. The Cathedral Square (Соборная площадь) is in the middle of this way. The train and bus stations are found to the east from the historical centre, at the bottom of the hill.

History
Vladimir was founded in 1108 by Vladimir Monomakh. There is an alternative version that ascribes the foundation of the city to Vladimir the Red Sun in 990. Yet the exact year does not seem to be very important for the average traveler, since the oldest existing monuments date back only to the middle of the 12th century. At that period, the city was rapidly developing due to the activity of Prince Andrey Bogolyubsky who established the capital of North-Eastern Russia in Vladimir. The city's period of greatest importance was probably in the late 12th and early 13th century, up to the Mongol invasion. Several of Russia's greatest architectural monuments were built in Vladimir during that time, including Assumption Cathedral and the Golden Gates, both of which are World Heritage Sites.

In 1238, Vladimir was besieged and taken by the Mongol hordes under Batu Khan. The city never recovered fully. Though it remained the pricipality's capital for a century, Vladimir gradually lost its political and cultural significance to Moscow. Until the middle of the 15th century, Vladimir was the capital of North-Eastern Russia, but the actual government worked in Moscow. The transfer of the capital was completed in the 15th century: the Assumption Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin, modeled after one of the oldest cathedrals in Vladimir, became the state church. The holy icon of Our Lady of Vladimir was also moved to Moscow.

Vladimir continued to be a provincial capital. It gradually grew in size due to its advantageous location in the middle of Central Russia. The development of the city was enhanced by the construction of the Moscow – Nizhny Novgorod railroad in the late 19th century.

Vladimir is a partially industrialized city, although the historical centre remains almost untouched since the beginning of the 20th century. In 1992, Vladimir was included in the World Heritage List of UNESCO.

Get in
Vladimir is halfway between Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod, so you will be able to get in from both cities. It is also possible to visit Vladimir during a trip around the Golden Ring.

By plane
Vladimir Semyazino airport does not have regular passenger communication. Nearest airports are in Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod, both receive international flights. From there, you can easily reach Vladimir by train, by bus, or by car.

By train
The main station is next to the central bus station and close to the historic centre.



From Moscow
Four or five suburban trains per day run to Vladimir from Moscow's Kurskaya Station. The journey takes 2½-3 hr. Buy tickets at the regional (short-distance) train ticket counter in the right wing of the Kurskaya station (Poezda Prigorodnogo Napravleniya - Gorkogo). Tickets cost from ₽505 (June 2019) one way. There are several daily departures with the earliest at 08:00. The 18:00 express is the quickest of these local trains but it has limited seats available. It returns from Vladimir at 06:00.

Some super-fast Sapsan trains also call at Vladimir en route between Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod. The journey takes 1hr 45min and a seat costs ₽1400-3000. The 06:45 departure may appeal to early risers. They use a different section of the same station as the local trains.

Regular long-distance trains also call at Vladimir. They are more frequent than the suburban trains but they are generally not faster. Prices from Moscow range greatly from ₽500 to around ₽1000. They mainly leave from the same station as the Sapsan high-speed trains but many also leave from Moscow's Yaroslavsky rail terminal. One or two depart from Moscow's Kazansky rail terminal.

Heading beyond Moscow, Vladimir is well connected to many cities including Saint Petersburg and Vladivostok.

From Moscow, taking one of the hourly local trains to Petushki is an alternative. Local trains between Vladimir and Petushki run 3 times per day. The overall journey is longer (3½-4 hr) but it may be helpful in case you miss other trains and the buses are overcrowded.

From Nizhny Novgorod
All trains to Vladimir depart from the main railway station. There is a direct express local train, which leaves Nizhny Novgorod at 16:10 and returns from Vladimir at 07:00. The trip takes 3½ hr.

The high-speed Sapsan train takes around 2 hr and costs from ₽1200. Several long-distance trains from all over the country also connect Vladimir and Nizhny Novgorod. Price range from ₽400 to ₽1000. The journey takes 3-4 hr.

Ordinary local trains connect in stages the towns along the Moscow - Nizhny Novgorod railway (such as Pokrov, Kovrov, Vyazniki, Gorokhovets) to Vladimir. Unless you are planning to see these towns it is advisable to use buses, as the local trains are slow and the necessary changes will make the journey last all day.

By bus
Vladimir has two bus stations:
 * Central bus station is next to the railway station, close to the historical centre. This station operates bus routes to every town in Vladimir Oblast as well as many intercity routes (to Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Ivanovo, Ryazan, etc.) Normally, you have to buy tickets inside the station. The square near the central bus station is a hub of private bus routes that are usually operated by minibuses. Such routes do not have a strict schedule and depart as soon as the minibus is filled up. You should pay directly to the driver or to a special person who collects money near the bus. The private routes serve Moscow, Murom, Gus-Khrustalny, and Ivanovo (via Suzdal). The last bus to Moscow departs at around 20:00.
 * Local bus station is near the Central Market (take trolleybus #10 from the central bus station). This station serves a number of very local bus routes to nearby villages. You are unlikely to use it.

Basic options of travelling to Vladimir by bus are as follows:


 * From Moscow: "official" buses depart from the central (intercity) bus station at Shelkovskaya metro station. There are at least ten buses per day, either running between Moscow and Vladimir or heading for further destinations (Kovrov, Ivanovo, Gus-Khrustalny, Murom, Vyazniki). Basically, it is more convenient to use private buses that depart from the square near Kursky railway station. Such buses leave every 30 minutes or even more often. The trip takes at least 3 hours, the price is about ₽220. Expect a longer trip during the weekdays (especially in the evening due to traffic problems near Moscow) and long queues for the buses during rush hours (like Friday and Sunday evenings).
 * From Nizhny Novgorod: buses to Vladimir depart from Kanavino bus station. There are 8-10 buses per day (either to Moscow or Vladimir), and the trip takes about 5 hours.
 * From other places: you will find at least 2 or 3 daily buses to Vladimir from any town of Vladimir region and from central cities of neighboring regions. The most frequent connections (every 1-1½ hours) run from Suzdal, Murom, Gus-Khrustalny, and Ivanovo (via Suzdal).

By car
Vladimir is easily reachable from Moscow (180 km along the M7 road), Nizhny Novgorod (240 km along the M7 road), Ivanovo (115 km along the A113 road), and Ryazan (230 km along the R123 and R73 roads, via Tuma and Gus-Khrustalny). In the city, you will find a lot of space for free parking on side streets and several parking areas on the main street (Bolshaya Moscovskaya) as well.

Get around
The historical centre is easily explored by foot, so the regular traveller is unlikely to use the public transport in Vladimir. Still, there is an extensive network of trolleybuses, buses, and minibuses (marshrutki), serving the whole city. The most useful option is the trolleybus #5 that connects the train station to the historical centre and runs along Bolshaya Moscovksaya Ulitsa. Normally, you have to pay to the driver or to a special lady who sits in the bus and collects the money.

Must-see list
These monuments are recognized by UNESCO and included in the World Heritage List. They are essential tourist destinations in Vladimir.



Other churches
There are lots of churches in Vladimir, and you're unlikely to visit all of them. Here are representative examples of various styles:

Secular buildings
Since the 18th century, Vladimir has been a provincial city, so its secular buildings are rather small and modest. Do not expect to see any masterpieces. Still, it is possible to find a number of nice buildings from different periods and styles.

Museums
The two important museums of Vladimir are the Cathedral of the Assumption and the Cathedral of St. Demetrius that exhibit ancient frescos (see the "Must-see list" above). You can also visit other museums:

Souvenirs
Traditional Russian souvenirs can be found right on the street next to the Golden Gate. It is also possible to find icons and other authentic gifts in the nearby St. Demetrius' Cathedral. Don't miss the shop of local crystalware in the church of St. Trinity.

Malls
Vladimir has several shopping centres and lots of smaller shops that offer a great variety of food, drinks, clothes, etc.

Supermarkets

 * SPAR – an international network of supermarkets. The shops are open daily from 09:00 till 21:00 (sometimes, from 10:00 or till 22:00).
 * Мостостроевская ул. 2 (the largest one) – south-western part of the city
 * Большая Московская ул. 19а (inside the Trading Rows)
 * Dobryak (Добряк) – пр. Ленина, 23 (round-the-clock)
 * Magnet (Магнит) – a food supermarket: ул. Усти на Лабе, 1 (daily 09:00–21:00)

Beer
Beer is probably the only local speciality in Vladimir. Vladimir brewery used to be known for a variety of beer sorts, but the diversity has been substantially reduced, because the brewery joined the brand of "live beer" Fifth Ocean (Пятый океан) – a wheat-free unfiltered beer with a special storage technology that allows to keep fresh unfiltered beer for rather long time. This beer is produced in several breweries and distributed all round the country. In Vladimir, it can be found in SPAR supermarkets.

A few filtered lager beers are produced under the general brand Vladimirskoe (Владимирское). They are not very special, but they are local and may be thus expected to be fresh.

Post office
Here are some post offices in the city centre. The full list of the offices can be found here.

Further destinations
From Vladimir, you can easily reach any place in Vladimir Oblast, and the trip should not take more than 3-3.5 hours. Below, the nearest destinations are listed:


 * Bogolyubovo – a village near Vladimir with remarkable white-stone monuments from 12th century. The must-see destination for any traveller coming to Vladimir.
 * Suzdal – the pretty, but quaint, world heritage site. Suzdal supplements Vladimir in the UNESCO list and presents lots of architectural sights from 13th-17th centuries.
 * Yuryev-Polsky – another part of the Golden Ring, a very provincial town with a nice and unusual white-stone cathedral dating back to 13th century.
 * Gus-Khrustalny – the town at the crystal factory. The local crystalware is really remarkable and compares to the international brands. Additionally, the town is a gateway to one of the few active networks of narrow-gauge railways in Central Russia.
 * Vyazniki – a remarkable town with several ancient churches, interesting secular buildings, and a really splendid viewpoint on the hill above the Klyazma river. Vyazniki is close to Mstyora, a famous region of handicrafts, including miniature painting and magnificent emroidery.
 * Sudogda – some people say that this is one of the most typical provincial towns in Central Russia. Sudogda preserves the complex of provincial buildings from 19th century and sufficiently reflects the present state of Russian province.
 * Kovrov – an industrial area and the second largest city of Vladimir region. Kovrov does not have any popular tourist attractions, but a number of buildings from late 19th – early 20th century are remarkable.
 * Lakinsk and Sobinka – small industrial towns to the west from Vladimir with several notable buildings from late 19th – early 20th century.