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Cathedral of St. Demetrius

Дмитриевский собор

This is the other ancient cathedral of Vladimir. The building was constructed in 1194-97 as an in-house church of the Prince's court. Galleries linked the cathedral to the palace, but they were removed during the reconstruction in the 19th century. St. Demetrius' Cathedral is now a detached church, a unique monument of ancient Russian architecture. The bottom part of the walls is flat (here the galleries were attached), while the upper part is covered by fine stone carvings. These carvings depict stories from the life of King David and praise the harmony of the world. Yet the meaning of some carvings remains unknown. The cathedral hosts a small museum that presents enlarged images and detailed explanations for a number of carvings as well as a small piece of original frescos from the late 12th century. The museum is open W-M from 11:00 till 17:00 or 18:00. Don't forget to have a look from the nearby viewpoint!

Address: Соборная площадь

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Listing from Wikivoyage: Vladimir, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

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Regional history museum
Областной исторический музей
The museum covers the history of Vladimir region from the very beginning (Stone age) till the February Revolution of 1917. During the Middle Ages, the history of the region was tightly bound to the history of Russia itself, so one can find a lot of information on the Vladimir principality and the development of north-eastern Russia prior to the Mongol invasion and along the period of the Mongol yoke.
Wed–Mon 10:00–16:00 or 17:00
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Planetarium
Большая Московская ул. 66а
Daily 09:00–17:15
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Cathedral of the Assumption
Успенский собор
It is one of the most historically important Russian Orthodox Churches. For a short period in the 14th century, the cathedral was the seat of the Metropolitan, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church. The cathedral was built in 1158 with only one dome. However, the major reconstruction followed already in 1185: four smaller domes were added, and the building was considerably enlarged in order to resemble St. Sophia's Cathedral in Kyiv. Later on, a similar project was utilized for the cathedral of the Assumption in Moscow Kremlin. The neighbouring bell tower of eclectic style was built in 1810 to replace the former hip-roof tower. The interior of the cathedral includes a number of ancient frescos from the late 12th century (northern wall) and 15th century (vaults), the latter being painted by Andrei Rublev and Daniil Chyorny. The cathedral combines church and museum activities. Services are normally held in the morning and offer free entrance. During the opening hours of the museum (Tu-Su 13:00-16:30), the tickets are sold.
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Nativity Monastery
Рождественский монастырь
The monastery was founded in the end of the 12th century and played important role for Russian Orthodox Church during the Middle Ages. None of the ancient buildings survived, but it is worth to see the stone walls and towers from the 18th century. Though there was no real threat to Vladimir at that time, the walls imitate fortifications of ancient Russian monasteries. You will also find a church and several living houses with fine decorations from the 17th century. The monastery is a home to the bishop of Vladimir region.