During Soviet times, the cathedral was closed and defaced, and its chapters were demolished. Now it is inactive, towering like a huge red brick silhouette next to St. George's Cathedral. And not even all tourists immediately recognize the building as a once majestic cathedral, built at the expense of all the residents of Yuryev-Polsky.

From the site http://juriev.ru/Arhitect/troitskij.htm

By the beginning of the 20th century, the main city church, St. George’s, could no longer accommodate all the believers. This was especially felt on big days church holidays. On the initiative of Archpriest Alexander Znamensky and parishioners, construction of the Trinity Cathedral began just northeast of St. George's Cathedral as a new warm cathedral church in the city. For four years, residents of Yuryev-Polsky collected donations for new construction, and finally, in 1907, the first stone was laid in the foundation of the future cathedral. Its construction was timed to coincide with the tercentenary of the Imperial House of Romanov. A little earlier, on March 6, 1903, a meeting of the City Duma was held, at which it was decided to allocate a plot of land for a new cathedral church in the same fence as the existing St. George's Cathedral. It was decided to allocate 432 square fathoms of land for both churches, including the construction of a passage from the cathedral street to the Vladimirsky tract. Part of this cobblestone road still exists today.

In November 1903, the plan was ready. On January 21, 1904, the mayor Abrosimov put his approval visa on it. The project of the Trinity Cathedral of Yuryev-Polsky, compiled by the Vladimir diocesan architect Nikolai Dmitrievich Koritsky, was approved by the Construction Committee of the Holy Synod on May 3, 1905. According to him, the temple should have had a “Russian” appearance (now we call this style pseudo-Russian) and three thrones - the central one in the name of the Life-Giving Trinity, the side altars - the Exaltation of the Cross and the Annunciation. The project was implemented exactly, although the work was somewhat delayed due to a constant lack of funds. By the summer of 1905, a certain amount had been prepared building materials, including 350 thousand bricks.

On August 25 of this year, work began on the construction of the temple. By October 1, 1905, the foundation for the entire cathedral was laid to a height of one and a half arshins above the ground. All the money collected by the members of the Construction Commission was spent on this work. Very significant funds were needed to continue construction. Since the cathedral was built in honor of the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov, the reigning emperor made a monetary contribution of 30,000 rubles. At that time, this was a considerable amount, considering that the cost of a cow in 1911 was 25 rubles. But even such a significant amount of money was not enough to complete the construction work. Early frosts and severe winter affected the still unfinished temple. In March 1909, cracks were noticed on the facades. A commission headed by the provincial architect S. Fedorov was sent from Vladimir to Yuryev-Polsky. In his conclusion, he sentenced the cathedral to complete destruction if construction continued. WITH God's help and with the participation of pious people in 1914, the construction of the cathedral was completed. The work lasted almost seven years, and by December 1914 the building was built. It looked very massive and majestic. Red brick, rich external decor in the form of kokoshniks under the windows and semi-columns between them, stepped cornices, a beautiful entrance porch - all this made a very strong impression. The dimensions of the four-pillar, five-domed temple were impressive - it could accommodate two thousand people at once.

Consecration of the main altar in the name Life-Giving Trinity took place on January 11, 1915 by His Eminence, Bishop Eugene of Yuryevsk, with the participation of the cathedral and city clergy. Two days later, on January 13, the rite of consecration of the altar in honor of the Annunciation was performed Holy Mother of God, and on January 18, the throne of the southern altar was consecrated in honor of the Exaltation of the Honest and Life-giving Cross The Lord's. The relics of the blessed prince Svyatoslav III Vsevolodovich and his son schemamonk Dimitri were transferred to this chapel from the St. George Cathedral. On August 23, 1915, the consecration of the throne took place in honor of the Assumption Mother of God in the lower floor of the new cathedral. In 1916, the “Svyatoslav Cross” was placed in the cathedral, transferred from the warm side-chapel of the Exaltation of the Cross of the St. George Church. The consecration of the Trinity Cathedral was perhaps the last joyful celebration in the pre-revolutionary history of Yuryev-Polsky.

In the mid-1920s, Trinity Church was robbed, desecrated, and subsequently closed no later than the 1930s. The calorific heating has been dismantled. It is known that in the 1930s, the new authorities adapted the cathedral into a power plant, which operated until the mid-50s of the 20th century. During this period, the building suffered from constant vibration. The Metlakh tiles were broken, the ceilings were removed, the temple itself was beheaded and a pipe was installed on the side. Then the cathedral premises were used for warehouses trade organizations. By the 90s of the twentieth century, the building was completely abandoned to the mercy of fate.

Currently, the Holy Trinity Cathedral has been transferred to the Vladimir-Suzdal diocese, but due to the emergency condition of the building, services are not held.

From the magazine " Orthodox Temples. Travel to holy places". Issue No. 33, 2013.

Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity

Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity

In 1809, the princely tomb, where the relics of the holy noble princes Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich and his son Schemamonk Dimitri rested, was rebuilt into a warm Holy Trinity aisle In 1817, another chapel was added to the new one - in honor of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord. But still, the area of the two warm aisles was insignificant. As the rector of the cathedral, Archpriest Alexander Znamensky, noted, “many inhabitants of the city are deprived of the opportunity to attend the divine services performed in the cathedral and, most regrettably, especially on great holidays. Those who come here to pray are forced to endure extraordinary stuffiness and cramped conditions, and upon leaving the temple they are in danger of catching a cold. Such cases actually happen quite often...”
In view of these circumstances and as a result of the dilapidation of the ceilings in St. George's Cathedral, the question arose about building a new, spacious, warm church in the city. Let's look at the documents of that time. “The city of Yuryev is very small in terms of population (about 6,000 inhabitants) and, moreover, poor. Among its inhabitants, with all their zeal for the temples of God, it is impossible to collect even any significant amount needed for such a great cause...”
Concerned about this and not seeing a way out of the current situation, Archpriest Alexander Znamensky, together with some citizens of the city of Yuryev, appealed to the Diocesan Administration. In his appeal, he asked to establish a commission to raise funds for such a great cause. His Eminence the Bishop approved this petition. And on February 6, 1903, he approved the composition of the commission, authorizing it to immediately begin action. Firstly, to petition the city duma for a plot of land to build a new cathedral, and secondly, to develop a project and submit it to the diocese for approval. And the last thing is to raise funds for construction. The commission included the most active residents of our city. The commission was headed by Archpriest Alexander Znamensky, and priest Ioann Kasatkin was entrusted with office work. The mayor Abrosimov, merchants N. Ganshin, A. Ovsyannikov, A. Menshikov, P. Kasatkin were members of the commission, and Pyotr Ponomarev was chosen as treasurer.

On March 6, 1903, a meeting of the City Duma was held, at which it was decided to allocate a plot of land for a new cathedral church in the same fence as the existing St. George's Cathedral. It was decided to allocate 432 square fathoms of land for both churches, including the construction of a passage from the cathedral street to the Vladimirsky tract. Part of this cobblestone road still exists today. The draftsman G. Menshikov was entrusted with taking photographs from nature and drawing up a plan.

Project of the Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity

In November 1903, the plan was ready. On January 21, 1904, the mayor Abrosimov put his approval visa on it. The project of the three-altar church (in the name of the Life-Giving Trinity, the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord and the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary) was prepared by the architect N.D. Koritsky. On May 3, 1905, the project was approved by the construction committee of the Holy Synod.
By the summer of 1905, the commission had prepared a certain amount of building materials, including 350 thousand bricks. By that time, a small amount of money had accumulated in the cash register, and on August 25 of this year, work began on the construction of the temple. By October 1, 1905, the foundation for the entire cathedral was laid to a height of one and a half arshins above the ground. All the money collected by the members of the Commission was spent on this work. “To continue the work,” writes the chairman of the commission, Father Alexander Znamensky, “very significant funds are needed. But where and how to find them? This is a very difficult question, especially at a time when everyone is seized with alarming uncertainty about the future.”
The museum contains a subscription sheet for No. 48270, addressed to the mayor of the Poltava province. This message talks about the involvement of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich in our region. The first Tsar of the Romanov family, Mikhail, spent his childhood in the village of Kliny. Let us turn to the document: “... from here the Pious Tsar visited the ancient St. George Cathedral, built in 1234, in the city of Yuryev, for the sake of worshiping the especially revered cross kept here, built by the grandson of Yuri Dolgoruky - Grand Duke Svyatoslav III Vsevolodovich, who created the cathedral itself.” In reverence for this shrine, Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, according to ancient acts, released from his royal bounty everything necessary for worship in the Yuryev Cathedral: “and images, and books, and candles, and bells, and every church building”...
Since the cathedral was built in honor of the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov, the reigning emperor made a monetary contribution of 30,000 rubles. At that time, this was a considerable amount, considering that a bank deposit of 1,000 rubles was considered the largest, and the cost of a cow in 1911 was 25 rubles. But even such a significant amount of money was not enough to complete the construction work. This money was used to install reinforced concrete floors; An iconostasis was installed on the lower floor and icons were placed in it. From the text of another subscription sheet it is clear that cash receipts from residents of the city and county have already dried up, and there is still a lot of work to be done. The interior of the cathedral requires plastering, the window openings must be covered with frames and glazed, heating must be installed, a tiled floor must be laid, and an iconostasis must be ordered. Further we read: “... under such circumstances, the Construction Commission for the construction of the cathedral in the city of Yuryev turns to all Orthodox Christians with a sincere request for help in completing the newly built cathedral church in the city of Yuryev, Vladimir province...”
The cathedral church was not just built in our ancient small town. Either there was a lack of money, or workers, or various obstacles from atheist-minded people - the times were already pre-revolutionary, and then suddenly a new temple, and so majestic, as if a temptation from Mother Nature. The last reason posed the question: should there be a cathedral church in the city or not. The year 1908 turned out to be very cold, the summer was replete with torrential, prolonged rains, and the autumn was full of sleet mixed with rain. Early frosts and severe winter affected the still unfinished temple. In March 1909, cracks were noticed on the facades. Reading through the documents dedicated to this mournful event, you understand how much the organizers of the construction, Father Alexander Znamensky, had to endure, but the architect Nikolai Koritsky suffered the most. Because in July 1903, in the village of Chaadaevo, Murom district, a new extension to the temple, which was built according to the design of N. Koritsky, collapsed. After lengthy legal proceedings regarding the destruction of the extension, the architect was acquitted. And suddenly the huge, still unfinished temple began to crack. Koritsky's explanations were not taken into account.

One of the most important commissions was entrusted to be headed by the provincial architect S. Fedorov. In his conclusion, he sentenced the cathedral to complete destruction if construction continued. It was tantamount to a death sentence. So much work, effort, trouble and suddenly: “...continuation of construction is extremely dangerous due to the possibility of complete destruction of the temple.” In the accident inspection report and in the report to the Vladimir Ecclesiastical Consistory, architect Koritsky explains the cause of the incident and proposes further actions to eliminate the consequences. Let us turn to the documents: “... it is quite possible to carry out the work without any harm to the cathedral church, remove the water formed inside the temple from rain and snow into a receiver, temporarily arranging it in the middle of the temple,” and also: “... I ignored the advice of the architect Fedorov, whom I recognize as having little competence in the construction of such buildings.” Koritsky himself personally headed further construction. Reporting to the consistory, he notes: “... according to my personal instructions, the Council in Yuryev-Polsky was successfully completed, the chapters were covered with iron, and the scaffolding inside was weakened...
With God's help and the participation of pious Russian people, the construction of the cathedral was completed in 1913. Due to numerous deficiencies, regular service began the following 1914.
On January 9, 1915, His Eminence, the Most Reverend Eugene, Bishop of Yuryev, left the city of Vladimir for the city of Yuryev to consecrate the newly built cathedral.
His Eminence Bishop Evgeniy of Yuryevsky on January 10, on his way to the city of Yuryev-Polsky, visited the Assumption Parish School in the city of Ivanovo-Voznesensk, where he tested students in all subjects; then, at the invitation of the school Trustee D. G. Burylin, he visited the hospital established by his brother, examined the premises here and gave a blessing to the wounded officers and the sick.
The celebration of the consecration of the new cathedral began with an all-night vigil on January 10. Together with His Eminence, the Most Reverend Eugene, Bishop of Yuryevsky, Fr. the rector of the cathedral, Archpriest A. Znamensky, the cathedral clergy, the priest V. Bogoslovsky who accompanied Vladyka, and two city Yuryev priests - D. Sakharov and K. Tverdislov. After the first kathisma, priest V. Theologian gave a teaching on the text: “Behold, I stand at the door and speak: if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and sup with him, and he with me” (Rev. III, 20). After all-night vigil His Eminence was pleased to offer the people a conversation about the beneficial aspects of the present war in order to bring possible peace and tranquility into the grief-stricken hearts of the Russian people.
On January 11, the consecration of the cathedral began at 8 a.m. As the day before, the temple was filled with worshipers, among whom were representatives of government authorities, city government, chiefs educational institutions etc. During the consecration, in a procession around the cathedral, a new majestic banner, built by the Society of Banner Bearers of the city of Yuryev, was carried for the first time. At the end of the consecration, before beginning the liturgy, His Eminence deigned to address the worshipers with a word of edification, clarifying the meaning of the temple for Christians. After the sacramental verse, priest K. Tverdislov delivered a sermon appropriate to the occasion. At the end of the liturgy, all the city clergy and the priests of rural parishes who were in the church came out to the prayer service with His Eminence. At the end of the prayer service, His Eminence deigned to bless every last pilgrim and then left the cathedral at 1:45 p.m. During the archpastoral blessing, leaflets with religious and moral content were distributed to the people.
After the liturgy, His Eminence honored with a visit to the building of the City Public Assembly, where representatives of the city, with the permission of His Eminence, the Most Reverend Alexy, Archbishop of Vladimir and Suzdal, presented a golden pectoral cross to the chairman of the Construction Commission for the construction of the cathedral, Archpriest A. Znamensky.
The celebration of the consecration of the majestic new cathedral, the bishop's service in it, full of touching, solemnly touching and edifying sacred rites, in connection with the beautiful singing of church hymns, as well as the inspired sermon of the Archpastor and the shepherds, all this produced an undoubtedly very strong impression - impression extraordinary light in the midst of the usual darkness of a vain life, an impression of holy joy for a tormented conscience, an aching heart. Memories of this celebration will forever remain in the memory of happy eyewitnesses, pious Christians, and for a long time will sound in their hearts as a holy call for a new better life, a call to light, holiness, bliss.
On January 13, the rite of consecration of the altar was performed in honor of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, and on January 18, the throne of the southern altar was consecrated in honor of the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. As a temple icon of this chapel, in the right wing of the middle part of the temple, a white stone Svyatoslav cross was placed, transferred from the warm Holy Cross chapel of the St. George Church, where this cross was also a temple icon.
On August 23, 1915, the consecration of the throne in honor of the Dormition of the Mother of God took place in the lower floor of the new cathedral.
On April 11, 1916, by decree of the consistory, under the supervision of the architect-artist K. House of Romanov, the relics of the blessed Grand Duke Svyatoslav III Vsevolodovich and his son schemamonk Dimitri were transferred from the St. George Cathedral. The white stone sarcophagus of Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich was left in its original place, and the relics were transferred to a new cypress coffin, which was enclosed in a new copper, highly artistic shrine. The coffin and shrine were built by the diligence of the hereditary honorary citizen and his wife Pelageya Pavlovna. The cost of the raki was 2500 rubles. The remains of schema-monk Demetrius were transferred in a white-stone sarcophagus, into which a new pine coffin was placed, where the schema-monk’s relics were placed.

The new majestic brick building of the cathedral in the neo-Russian (or pseudo-Russian) style, decorated with rich decor reminiscent of ancient Russian pattern carvings, made a strong impression.
The newspaper “Vladimir Diocesan Gazette” wrote about it like this: “The new cathedral is majestic and beautiful... The inside is completely open and quite bright, it can accommodate more than 2000 people... The holy icons in it are of expensive artistic writing. There are no wall paintings in the cathedral. In the aisle on the right side, in a prominent place, is the ancient “Svyatoslav’s” Crucifix with those present, carved from a whole stone and serving as an object of special reverent worship for the city and surrounding residents...”

1916 is the year of a brutal bloody war. Archpriest Alexander Znamensky writes in his diary: “... fear for the Motherland, for its defenders, for attracting early recruits and militia warriors into the active army. The number of male pilgrims in the temple began to noticeably decrease. After each service, at the request of the pilgrims, either prayers were performed for the health of loved ones taken to war, or memorial services for the repose of those who laid down their lives on the battlefield...”

Archpriest Alexander Znamensky was a deputy from the clergy to the district zemstvo assembly, in 1907 he was elected a member of the 3rd State Duma, a member of the Yuryevsky district school council, served as dean. For Easter 1919, the archpriest of the St. George Cathedral in Yuryev-Polsky, Alexander Znamensky, was awarded a cross with decorations.
After October revolution 1917 o. Alexander Znamensky became one of the leaders of renovationism in the Vladimir diocese. A contemporary priest wrote: “During these years, the clergy itself brought a lot of bad things into the religious and moral life of the people... We ourselves, the shepherds of the people, many found ourselves not up to the height of our calling. In my memory, the first step in the decline of our authority in the eyes of the people, which outraged me then, at the beginning of the revolution, under Kerensky, was the throwing away of priestly crosses for the needs of the war with Germany. Then the smart heads elected from each deanery of the diocese, the archpriests and priests, came together for a general diocesan congress. It was probably run then by one of the two leaders now known in the Renovationist Church, either Yuryevsky Archpriest Znamensky, or now the bishop of the Struninsky factory, Archpriest Alexy Rozhdestvensky.”
In 1930, at a secret meeting of the presidium of the Yuryev-Polsky district executive committee on the dispossession of part of the population, it was decided: “to further municipalize (i.e. take away from the owner) a residential building with two barns of the former archpriest of St. George’s Cathedral, a former member of the State Duma and the Holy Synod of Znamensky A.V. During Soviet times, the heads of the cathedral were destroyed.
An old-timer of Yuriev Fr. Vasily Krylov recalled the last Easter service in the Resurrection Cathedral, when Vicar Bishop Chrysogon served.
On January 12, 1931, Archimandrite Chrysogon (Ivanovsky, d. 1938) was ordained Bishop of Yuryevopol. On April 14, 1932, he was appointed Bishop of Chisinau; on June 8, 1932, he again served in Yuryev-Polsky (Bishop of Yuryevopol, vicar of the Vladimir diocese) , since March 17, 1937, Bishop of Vladimir. A certain archimandrite served with the bishop, apparently Fr. Sergius (Ozerov, tonsured Valaam Monastery, abbot of the Ussuri Holy Trinity Monastery in the Far East) - local and exiled clergy. The Gospel was read in five languages: Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Slavic and Russian. The son of the exiled martyr Zosima in Yuryev-Polskaya, Sergei Trubaev recalled: “On that memorable day in 1932, I first met Fr. Sergius (Archimandrite Sergius Ozerov) - abbot of the monastery in the Ussuri region, and previously a Valaam monk. One day, when we were leaving the church from the all-night vigil, my father approached an unusually dressed old priest. He stood at the entrance, leaning on his staff like a traveler. Boots and peasant-style clothing confirmed his wanderings. The father respectfully bowed to him, and the elder blessed me warmly. This is how I first saw Archimandrite Sergius Ozerov, a man of extraordinary destiny and great spiritual experience, who found temporary refuge on the land of Vladimir, far from the monastic brotherhood he had gathered and scattered during times of persecution.
During the years of settlement in Yuryev-Polsky island. Zosima often visited him. Meetings with him became especially frequent summer evenings 1933. I was waiting for them, attracted by the kindness, cordiality and hospitality of the elder, amazed by the story of his life’s journey... My soul absorbed the beneficial influence radiated by him, and everything that was then perceived with unflagging attention was deposited in the depths of memory and subsequently supported me in the terrible years of new separation with my father, during the deadly years of the war, and so unexpectedly came to light when, remembering the elder, I began to look for traces of his last earthly stay. More than half a century has passed, but his image is not obscured by time, he lives in me even now, acquiring more and more specific features in the remembrance of eyewitnesses about the life feat of two Valaam monks sent by missionaries to Far East. A meeting with one of them, Archimandrite Sergius Ozerov, took place shortly before his unknown, suffering death.
In Yuryev-Polsky o. Sergius lived opposite the monastery, behind St. George's Cathedral, if you walk from the embankment, in the last house with a porch in the courtyard and windows overlooking Petropavlovskaya (now Pervomaiskaya) street. A small row of wooden houses located inside the ramparts faces the western wall of the monastery. Behind the houses there were green vegetable gardens. The street noise did not reach here; the bustling movement in the central square remained aside. They entered the house, climbing the steps of the porch, and with each step their hearts sank... And when he came out of his cramped room into the darkened narrow corridor and hospitably invited him into his monastic upper room, his heart felt warm and joyful from the meeting and the leisurely paternal blessing .
Kindness shone in his senile, slightly blind eyes. Dejected, but unbroken by the persecution he experienced, he accepted every day and every hour as a gift from God.
Father Sergius cordially treated him to whatever he could; what he himself ate in those lean years. Usually on the table there was a salad of garden greens with thin slices of rye bread, sometimes champignons collected almost from the porch of the house in a grassy road rut or on a cliff. They drank tea brewed with mint or fragrant currant leaves. And before and after the treat - a prayer, said slowly, in a quiet old voice, every word in it came from the heart and was closed in the heart. Blessed Elder! Your attention to the strangers, to your interlocutor seemed so great, so significant, as if nothing else occupied or bothered you in those hours.
Neither the ailments of old age, nor fatigue, nor visiting hours could affect your responsiveness. You asked and read in your heart before you were answered. You occupied me with a story about Distant Valaam and your brainchild - the Ussuri monastery. And what you remembered and talked about entered visibly into the present, was seen as part of your life - not gone, not sunk into oblivion, no, all your companions and associates were always with you, in the temple of your heart... His room barely accommodated the guest, but left an unforgettable impression of its special inherent world. In the front corner, above the prayer table, there are icons. In the center is a copy of the Mother of God icon “Embrace of the Father”, painted in the monastery, sent in 1894 from Athos to bless the future monastery, bright, joyful, festive: in the radiance of the rays the Mother of God with the Infant God opening His arms - Embrace of the Father...
Over the past decades you will realize: what was said by Fr. Sergius, even if by chance, retained its meaning for years to come, not only as something heard then for the first time, but also as a definition of life direction, as a predetermination of quests, the awakening of spiritual aspirations. He unobtrusively influenced the wise, attracting with warmth and tact, leaving freedom of choice life path, in order to find that true pearl, for the sake of which one can reject everything unimportant...Father Sergius did not stand out either by the external signs of a high rank, or by the performance of prayer visible from the outside, but his faith and piety, like even breathing, were imperceptibly manifested throughout his modest appearance.. ."

In the 1930s the new authorities adapted the cathedral into a power plant, which operated until the end of the century. 50s XX century During this period, the building suffered from constant vibration. The cathedral was beheaded, the floor was smashed, the ceilings were blown up, and then, due to its uselessness, the cathedral was closed.
Currently, the Holy Trinity Cathedral has been transferred to the Vladimir-Suzdal diocese. The main city temple requires restoration, complete restoration.

The city of Yuryev-Polsky, despite its name, has nothing to do with Poland. It is located in Russia, in the Vladimir region. The most interesting and mysterious place is St. George's Cathedral or, as it is also called, the temple with an elephant. The city was founded by Yuri Dolgoruky in the middle of the 12th century. The prince was clearly not distinguished by modesty and named it in his honor - Yuryev. And since there were several such cities, the second part of the name specifies the area. It came from the word “field”, since the city was located on the Suzdal Opolye.

It is best to start exploring the city with the earthen ramparts, which have an almost regular circumference. Behind the ramparts are the main attractions of the city: Mikhailo-Arkhangelsky Yuryevsky monastery, St. George's Cathedral and the Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity.

Michael-Arkhangelsk Yuryevsky Monastery

For a symbolic 35 rubles you can climb the bell tower, but the views from there are not very interesting.

Michael the Archangel Monastery was founded by Prince Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich in the 13th century. It is known that in 1238, Batu’s troops, during the capture of Yuryev-Polsky, destroyed the monastery, and for almost two centuries it stood in desolation. The Lithuanians also destroyed the monastery; then the entire archive was lost, and the abbot of the monastery had to submit a petition to Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich so that the Tsar would confirm the privileges granted to the monastery by the previous sovereigns. Such a certificate was indeed issued. The monastery had many gifts from Prince D.M. Pozharsky, who had a patrimony not far from Yuryev - the village of Luchinskoye. Now the monastery houses a museum.

St. George's Cathedral (Temple with an Elephant)
Every tourist who comes to this city for the first time always plays the game “find the elephant.” All the walls of the temple are decorated with carved ornaments, but only in one place is there a small image of an elephant. Now you won’t surprise anyone with an elephant, but where could the image of an elephant come from on a 13th century temple? Historians have not yet come to a consensus on this historical mystery.

The elephant is located on the northern wall above the entrance to the temple.

Previously it was believed that the cathedral was built on the foundation of the white stone Church of St. George, which was built in 1152 when the city was founded by Yuri Dolgoruky. Archaeological research recent years showed that the temple of 1152 was located in a different place (where exactly is still unknown). Apparently, the original church differed little in type from the Vladimir church of the same name in the courtyard of Dolgoruky, Boris and Gleb in Kideksha near Suzdal, and the Church of the Savior in Pereslavl-Zalessky.
In 1230, the son of Vsevolod III the Big Nest, Svyatoslav, dismantled the church, which had “dilapidated and broken,” and four years later the construction of the cathedral was completed; according to the chronicler, “the church was wonderfully decorated with carved stone from the bottom to the top.”
No earlier than 1252 and no later than the end of the 14th century, the Trinity chapel was added to the north-eastern corner of the temple, where the burial of Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich was moved.
In the 15th century, a significant part of the building collapsed. In 1471, by the efforts of V.D. Ermolin, the cathedral was restored, but lost its original proportions and became much more squat.
After restoration in 1471, the following from the cathedral of 1230-1234 were preserved: from the west - the first tier of the vestibule and the northern half of the wall to the top of the arched-columnar belt; from the east - the base of the apses; from the south - the vestibule and adjacent walls (closer to the corners they have survived only up to the base); from the north - the vestibule and the most significant part of the walls of the cathedral (an arcature-columnar belt has survived on the central and western sides).

Nearby is the Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity

The Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity in Yuryev-Polsky was built next to the ancient St. George Cathedral, between it and the St. Michael the Archangel Monastery. Construction began in 1907, after four years of fundraising to build a large new cathedral in the city. The need for such a cathedral was obvious: St. George’s Cathedral, even expanded and rebuilt beyond recognition (it was “cleansed” of alterations by restorers in Soviet times), could not accommodate all the believers, especially on holidays. Work on the construction of the new temple took seven years, and by 1914 the building was completed. The consecration of the temple was somewhat delayed and took place only in 1915.
The new majestic brick building of the cathedral in the neo-Russian (or pseudo-Russian) style, decorated with rich decor reminiscent of ancient Russian pattern carvings, made a strong impression. The newspaper “Vladimir Diocesan Gazette” wrote about it like this: “The new cathedral is majestic and beautiful... It can accommodate more than 2000 people.” In the aisle of the new cathedral, the “Svyatoslav Cross”, an ancient shrine, very revered by believers, was installed, transferred from the St. George Church.
During Soviet times, the cathedral was closed and defaced, and its chapters were demolished. Now it is inactive, towering like a huge red brick silhouette next to St. George's Cathedral. And not even all tourists immediately recognize the building as a once majestic cathedral, built at the expense of all the residents of Yuryev-Polsky.

Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The church is located literally a five-minute walk from the monastery on the banks of the Koloksha River.

The Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Yuryev-Polsky was built in 1769. The temple on this site has been known since 1712. It was built by the monk of the St. Michael the Archangel Monastery, Kirill, and not just built, but erected several wooden cells nearby for the new nunnery of the Intercession Monastery. However, the monastery did not exist here for long, four nuns were transferred to the Vvedensky Monastery, and the church remained standing on the banks of the Koloksha out of use. The petition of the Yuryev governor Grigory Menshikov to the Holy Synod indicates that the monastery existed here before the Lithuanian devastation, and also reports the desolation of the maiden monastery. It was even proposed to move the church from here. The wooden Church of the Intercession was soon turned into a parish church. In 1768, the temple “due to the negligence of the sexton and sexton” completely burned down, but residents of the surrounding houses managed to save books, valuable utensils and icons from the fire. A year later, the parishioners rebuilt their temple in stone. This building has survived to this day: a tall five-domed church with numerous carved decorations on the facades and beautiful frames on the windows. Three altars were built in it: the main one in honor of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos and two warm ones - St. Nicholas and the Prophet Elijah. IN late XIX century, the church became famous for its extraordinary amateur choir, composed of representatives of the local intelligentsia - doctors, teachers, officials. The organizer of the choir was veterinarian N.I. Lyubimov. And this choir sang, according to the Vladimir newspaper, quite well. A high four-tier bell tower was added to the church in the second half of the 19th century. It has become one of the high-rise landmarks in the city, visible from almost everywhere, and since many churches and bell towers were demolished in Soviet times, it has remained the main high-rise dominant feature of Yuryev.

Former Peter and Paul Monastery
The remains of this monastery are located 20 minutes walk north of the Archangel Michael Monastery

Remains of the Church of Peter and Paul

Peter and Paul Bell Tower

You can go into the bell tower and even climb to the top, but unfortunately I didn’t have time to climb to the top, I had limited time and had to run to the bus. But now I will have a reason to come to this city again.

The Peter and Paul Monastery “near the city of Yuryev” existed since the 16th century as a men’s monastery. During the “Lithuanian devastation” it was destroyed and burned. According to other sources, it was founded in the 17th century by Metropolitan Hilarion of Suzdal and Yuryev, and later fell into decay. For a long time there was no monastery here. The wooden parish church of Peter and Paul on this site was rebuilt in the 17th century and for about two centuries existed under the constant threat of closure and even demolition, but each time something happened that saved the temple. IN early XIX century, the church is listed as “standing in the cemetery.” In 1825, the residents of Yuryev submitted a petition to the provincial government to demolish the dilapidated Peter and Paul Church. The temple was transferred to the Archangel Michael Monastery, and by decree of the Synod in 1830, the dilapidated church was finally demolished. For some time there was a wasteland here, which became the property of the peasants of the neighboring village of Fedosin. This land was exchanged from the peasants by the Yuryev merchant Pyotr Borodulin, who decided to restore the temple.
In 1843, grandiose construction began near the city outpost. Merchant Borodulin received permission to build a new one here big temple in the name of Peter and Paul. The building turned out to be truly magnificent, such as has never been seen in Yuryev-Polsky. However, the huge new five-domed Church of Peter and Paul, with a massive light drum in the center, with four domes (also on light drums) in the corners, with huge, high portals, in the Byzantine style, with three thrones, ended up without a parish for almost twenty years. New life he was given a great city fire in 1871, which destroyed the Vvedensky Convent. The nuns who remained literally on the street received permission to occupy the Peter and Paul Church, which later became the cathedral church of the monastery. Since 1874, the monastery, settled in a new location, officially began to be called Peter and Paul. The Assumption Warm Church of the monastery was built around the same time. Now it is difficult to recognize it in the remaining ruins, overgrown with trees and bushes, but then it was a rather spacious, beautiful church in the neo-Russian style, crowned with one dome on a hipped roof.
The huge five-tier bell tower is the best preserved in the monastery. Now it is deprived of its head, but this has not lost its splendor. Built at the end of the 19th century in the same neo-Russian (Byzantine) style as the entire monastery, it is richly decorated with various carvings, and each tier has its own special arched openings and decor. Abbess Claudia, who did a lot for the monastery, took care of the construction of the bell tower. Through her efforts, an almshouse was opened in the monastery in 1898, and a little earlier, a school for girls, with a kind of boarding school for those students who lived far away. The school taught the Law of God, writing, arithmetic, literacy, sewing and handicrafts. In the 1920s, the monastery was abolished, and in 1925 all the bells were sold for non-ferrous metal. Nowadays, in the once well-maintained and beautiful monastery courtyard there are boxes of garages, the cathedral and the refectory church have no roof and are collapsing.

Nearby is the Church of the Ascension

The modest Ascension Cemetery Church was built in 1780 with funds raised by the townspeople. This is a typical provincial church with a long refectory, carved platband decorations and multi-layered cornices, with false zakomars, characteristic mainly of the architecture of the 17th century, but in the provinces lasted until the 19th century. In 1840, a two-tier bell tower in the classicist style with a high spire was added to the church. There were three altars in the church: the main altar of Ascension and two warm, or “winter” altars: Peter and Paul and Sergius of Radonezh. Now it is slowly being restored.

A block away from here there is another church - the Church of the Nativity of Christ.

The Church of the Nativity of Christ was built at the beginning of the 18th century on the site of the former wooden one. The lane in which the temple stood was called Kokushkin and Kozmodemyansky. It received its last name from the temple, which local residents knew better as Kosmodamiansky, after the dedication of one of the chapels. There is an assumption that initially the entire temple was consecrated in honor of Cosmas and Damian, and only at the end of the 18th century, after the addition of the bell tower, it was reconsecrated in the name of the Nativity of Christ. The chapels in the temple were dedicated to Paraskeva Pyatnitsa and Saints Kozma and Damian. It was a summer, or “cold” church - a relatively low quadrangle, topped with five large drums with onion-shaped domes. Attached to the quadrangle was a low refectory with a three-tiered massive bell tower, on which there was even a clock. The bell tower has not survived; it was completely destroyed during Soviet times. The quadrangle of the temple is decorated with false zakomaras in the upper part, and all facades are divided into three parts by small blades. The already high drums are raised by the kokoshniks surrounding each drum.

The city of Yuryev-Polsky, despite its name, has nothing to do with Poland. It is located in Russia, in the Vladimir region. The most interesting and mysterious place is St. George's Cathedral or, as it is also called, the temple with an elephant. The city was founded by Yuri Dolgoruky in the middle of the 12th century. The prince was clearly not distinguished by modesty and named it in his honor - Yuryev. And since there were several such cities, the second part of the name specifies the area. It came from the word “field”, since the city was located on the Suzdal Opolye.

It is best to start exploring the city with the earthen ramparts, which have an almost regular circumference. Behind the ramparts are the main attractions of the city: St. Michael the Archangel Yuryevsky Monastery, St. George's Cathedral and the Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity.

Michael-Arkhangelsk Yuryevsky Monastery

For a symbolic 35 rubles you can climb the bell tower, but the views from there are not very interesting.

The elephant is located on the northern wall above the entrance to the temple.

Previously it was believed that the cathedral was built on the foundation of the white stone Church of St. George, which was built in 1152 when the city was founded by Yuri Dolgoruky. Archaeological research in recent years has shown that the temple of 1152 was located in a different place (where exactly is still unknown). Apparently, the original church differed little in type from the Vladimir church of the same name in the courtyard of Dolgoruky, Boris and Gleb in Kideksha near Suzdal, and the Church of the Savior in Pereslavl-Zalessky.
In 1230, the son of Vsevolod III the Big Nest, Svyatoslav, dismantled the church, which had “dilapidated and broken,” and four years later the construction of the cathedral was completed; according to the chronicler, “the church was wonderfully decorated with carved stone from the bottom to the top.”
No earlier than 1252 and no later than the end of the 14th century, the Trinity chapel was added to the north-eastern corner of the temple, where the burial of Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich was moved.
In the 15th century, a significant part of the building collapsed. In 1471, by the efforts of V.D. Ermolin, the cathedral was restored, but lost its original proportions and became much more squat.
After restoration in 1471, the following from the cathedral of 1230-1234 were preserved: from the west - the first tier of the vestibule and the northern half of the wall to the top of the arched-columnar belt; from the east - the base of the apses; from the south - the vestibule and adjacent walls (closer to the corners they have survived only up to the base); from the north - the vestibule and the most significant part of the walls of the cathedral (an arcature-columnar belt has survived on the central and western sides).

Nearby is the Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity

Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The church is located literally a five-minute walk from the monastery on the banks of the Koloksha River.

The Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Yuryev-Polsky was built in 1769. The temple on this site has been known since 1712. It was built by the monk of the St. Michael the Archangel Monastery, Kirill, and not just built, but erected several wooden cells nearby for the new nunnery of the Intercession Monastery. However, the monastery did not exist here for long, four nuns were transferred to the Vvedensky Monastery, and the church remained standing on the banks of the Koloksha out of use. The petition of the Yuryev governor Grigory Menshikov to the Holy Synod indicates that the monastery existed here before the Lithuanian devastation, and also reports the desolation of the maiden monastery. It was even proposed to move the church from here. The wooden Church of the Intercession was soon turned into a parish church. In 1768, the temple “due to the negligence of the sexton and sexton” completely burned down, but residents of the surrounding houses managed to save books, valuable utensils and icons from the fire. A year later, the parishioners rebuilt their temple in stone. This building has survived to this day: a tall five-domed church with numerous carved decorations on the facades and beautiful frames on the windows. Three altars were built in it: the main one in honor of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos and two warm ones - St. Nicholas and the Prophet Elijah. At the end of the 19th century, the church became famous for its extraordinary amateur choir, composed of representatives of the local intelligentsia - doctors, teachers, officials. The organizer of the choir was veterinarian N.I. Lyubimov. And this choir sang, according to the Vladimir newspaper, quite well. A high four-tier bell tower was added to the church in the second half of the 19th century. It has become one of the high-rise landmarks in the city, visible from almost everywhere, and since many churches and bell towers were demolished in Soviet times, it has remained the main high-rise dominant feature of Yuryev.

Former Peter and Paul Monastery
The remains of this monastery are located 20 minutes walk north of the Archangel Michael Monastery

Remains of the Church of Peter and Paul

Peter and Paul Bell Tower

The Peter and Paul Monastery “near the city of Yuryev” existed since the 16th century as a men’s monastery. During the “Lithuanian devastation” it was destroyed and burned. According to other sources, it was founded in the 17th century by Metropolitan Hilarion of Suzdal and Yuryev, and later fell into decay. For a long time there was no monastery here. The wooden parish church of Peter and Paul on this site was rebuilt in the 17th century and for about two centuries existed under the constant threat of closure and even demolition, but each time something happened that saved the temple. At the beginning of the 19th century, the church was listed as “standing in the cemetery.” In 1825, the residents of Yuryev submitted a petition to the provincial government to demolish the dilapidated Peter and Paul Church. The temple was transferred to the Archangel Michael Monastery, and by decree of the Synod in 1830, the dilapidated church was finally demolished. For some time there was a wasteland here, which became the property of the peasants of the neighboring village of Fedosin. This land was exchanged from the peasants by the Yuryev merchant Pyotr Borodulin, who decided to restore the temple.
In 1843, grandiose construction began near the city outpost. The merchant Borodulin received permission to build a new large temple here in the name of Peter and Paul. The building turned out to be truly magnificent, such as has never been seen in Yuryev-Polsky. However, the huge new five-domed Church of Peter and Paul, with a massive light drum in the center, with four domes (also on light drums) in the corners, with huge, high portals, in the Byzantine style, with three altars, ended up without a parish for almost twenty years. It was given new life by the great city fire of 1871, which destroyed the Vvedensky Convent. The nuns who remained literally on the street received permission to occupy the Peter and Paul Church, which later became the cathedral church of the monastery. Since 1874, the monastery, settled in a new location, officially began to be called Peter and Paul. The Assumption Warm Church of the monastery was built around the same time. Now it is difficult to recognize it in the remaining ruins, overgrown with trees and bushes, but then it was a rather spacious, beautiful church in the neo-Russian style, crowned with one dome on a hipped roof.
The huge five-tier bell tower is the best preserved in the monastery. Now it is deprived of its head, but this has not lost its splendor. Built at the end of the 19th century in the same neo-Russian (Byzantine) style as the entire monastery, it is richly decorated with various carvings, and each tier has its own special arched openings and decor. Abbess Claudia, who did a lot for the monastery, took care of the construction of the bell tower. Through her efforts, an almshouse was opened in the monastery in 1898, and a little earlier, a school for girls, with a kind of boarding school for those students who lived far away. The school taught the Law of God, writing, arithmetic, literacy, sewing and handicrafts. In the 1920s, the monastery was abolished, and in 1925 all the bells were sold for non-ferrous metal. Nowadays, in the once well-maintained and beautiful monastery courtyard there are boxes of garages, the cathedral and the refectory church have no roof and are collapsing.

Nearby is the Church of the Ascension

A block away from here there is another church - the Church of the Nativity of Christ.

Yuriev-Polsky. Trinity SoboR

The Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity in Yuryev-Polsky was built next to the ancient St. George Cathedral, between it and the St. Michael the Archangel Monastery. Construction began in 1907, after four years of fundraising to build a large new cathedral in the city. The need for such a cathedral was obvious: St. George’s Cathedral, even expanded and rebuilt beyond recognition (it was “cleansed” of alterations by restorers in Soviet times), could not accommodate all the believers, especially on holidays. Work on the construction of the new temple took seven years, and by 1914 the building was completed. The consecration of the temple was somewhat delayed and took place only in 1915.
The new majestic brick building of the cathedral in the neo-Russian (or pseudo-Russian) style, decorated with rich decor reminiscent of ancient Russian pattern carvings, made a strong impression. The newspaper “Vladimir Diocesan Gazette” wrote about it like this: “The new cathedral is majestic and beautiful... It can accommodate more than 2000 people.” In the aisle of the new cathedral, the “Svyatoslav Cross”, an ancient shrine, very revered by believers, was installed, transferred from the St. George Church.
During Soviet times, the cathedral was closed and defaced, and its chapters were demolished. It is now inactive, rising in a huge red-brick silhouette next to St. George's Cathedral. And not even all tourists immediately recognize the building as a once majestic cathedral, built at the expense of all the residents of Yuryev-Polsky.

Address: Yuryev-Polsky, Museum lane, 2