Most PRESERVED Town of Old Russia! SUZDAL! (Founded in 1024)

Most PRESERVED Town of Old Russia! SUZDAL! (Founded in 1024)

So welcome to Suzdal! One of my most favorite 
towns in Russia! And if you watch this video to the end, you won’t be asking “Why?”
Suzdal is a true preserved town, like an open-air museum town in the Vladimir region of 
Russia! One of the oldest towns in the country, which nevertheless escaped any architectural 
impact either in Soviet times and in our days. Not a single Soviet building was constructed 
here, and not a single modern building either, with the exception of some hotel 
complexes whose design underwent very strict approvals and fully corresponds to 
the architectural appearance of historic Suzdal! Today this is truly the most preserved town 
in Russia and one of the oldest towns here. According to official data, Suzdal was founded 
no later than 1024, as mentioned in the Tale of Bygone Years, and last year, in 2024, the town 
celebrated its 1000th anniversary! The Millenium! Suzdal is located on the Kamenka River, 
a tributary of the Nerl, 26 km north of the town of Vladimir. And Vladimir is 
located 200 kilometers east of Moscow. The population of Suzdal today is about 9,500 
residents. This is one of the smallest towns in Russia. To be more precise, in terms of 
population, Suzdal now ranks about 950th out of a little more than 1,100 towns in Russia.
Suzdal is part of the Golden Ring of Russia! The Golden Ring is a circular route around the 
oldest towns of Russia, located mainly to the northeast and east of Moscow. This circular 
route was invented by Moscow journalist Yuri Bychkov while on assignment in Suzdal in 1965. 
Today it is one of the most famous historical tourist routes in Russia. The Golden Ring 
of Russia also includes Sergiyev Posad, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Rostov the Great, Yaroslavl, 
Kostroma, Ivanovo, Vladimir, Uglich, and Rybinsk. By the way, in the Tale of Bygone 
Years Suzdal is mentioned as “Suzhdal”: However, according to Russian linguist-slavist and 
etymologist of Slavic languages Oleg Trubachyov, the name of the town comes from the Old Slavic 
verb “sъzdati”, one of whose meanings was “to mold from clay.” From the same verb comes the word 
“sozdat’” (to create). Russian linguist Vladimir Neroznak believed that the name Suzdal came from 
the form “zizhdu” (which means “I build”), as a noun denoting the result of the verb’s action.
According to archaeological data, the settlement that later became the town of Suzdal was 
located in a bend of the Kamenka River. In the mid–second half of the 10th century the 
earliest Slavic-Merya tribe settlement was a promontory hillfort with three lines of ditches 
and a rampart in the northwestern part of the kremlin, with an area of about 1.5 hectares.
In Russian chronicles Suzdal is first mentioned as a town in connection with the 
uprising of sorcerers in 1024. The first Suzdal kremlin was demolished no later 
than the first quarter of the 11th century, apparently after the sorcerers’ uprising of 1024. 
After that, Prince Yaroslav the Wise built more powerful fortifications on a settlement site of 14 
hectares. According to archaeological excavations, in the third quarter of the 11th century 
a group of warriors of Scandinavian origin appeared among Suzdal’s inhabitants. In 1107, the 
Volga Bulgars besieged Suzdal but were repelled. Under Prince Yuri Dolgorukiy, the founder 
of Moscow, Suzdal became the center of the Rostov-Suzdal principality, expanded 
significantly, and was surrounded by a second line of defense — the outer town. In 1157 Prince 
Andrei Bogolyubsky, the son of Yuri Dolgorukiy, moved the capital from Suzdal to Vladimir. 
Interestingly, almost 90 years later, in 1243, Vladimir became the capital of 
all Russia and remained so until 1389. In 1238 Suzdal was burned and devastated by the 
army of Genghis Khan’s grandson, Mongol Khan Batu, and in 1293 by the Duden’s campaign — the invasion 
of Horde commander Tudan, brother of Khan Tokhta, into northeastern Rus’, during which 14 
Russian towns were captured and devastated. From the mid-13th century Suzdal was the capital 
of an independent Suzdal principality. After the formation of the Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal 
principality the princely residence moved to Nizhny Novgorod. In 1392 Suzdal 
became part of the Grand Duchy of Moscow. In 1445, near the walls of the Spaso-Evfimiev 
Monastery, there was a not very large in number but very consequential battle under Suzdal, 
as a result of which Grand Prince of Moscow Vasily II was captured by the Tatars. Suzdal was 
plundered and burned. During the fire the vaults of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin 
collapsed, and it was restored only in 1530. The old Stromynskaya road connected Suzdal 
with Vladimir and Moscow. From the 16th century monasteries were being built in Suzdal, old ones 
expanded, new ones founded. Suzdal became one of the largest centers of Russian monasticism. Out of 
11 monasteries of the time of Ivan the Terrible, by the beginning of the 19th century 
five monastic complexes had survived. The first half of the 17th century, 
as in other regions of Russia, was marked in Suzdal by economic decline 
and population reduction. During the Time of Troubles in 1608–1610 Polish-Lithuanian 
invaders caused terrible damage to the town, leaving only 78 households in its suburb. In 
1611 Poles besieged Suzdal for six months again, but unsuccessfully. In 1634 the Crimean 
Tatars carried out a raid on Suzdal. In 1644 a fire incinerated the suburb adjacent 
to the kremlin. The plague epidemic of 1654–1655 claimed almost half of the town’s 
population, which then numbered only 2,467. But in the mid-17th century a new period 
of economic rise began. In 1681 Suzdal had 6,145 residents and 515 households. From the 
early 18th century Suzdal was the center and unofficial capital of wandering traders, and 
people from other regions of Russia called them “suzdala,” meaning “from Suzdal.”
In 1708 the town was assigned to the Moscow Governorate as the center of 
the Suzdal Province (the governorate also included Pereslavl-Ryazanskaya, Kostroma, 
Yuryev-Polskaya, Vladimir, Pereslavl-Zalesskaya, Tula, and Kaluga provinces). In 1796 Suzdal 
became part of the Vladimir Governorate. In the second half of the 19th century Suzdal 
was already considered a remote provincial town without any industry. This was partly due 
to the fact that Suzdal ended up off the railroad. But such a situation made it possible 
to preserve old buildings, especially churches, from clumsy renovations and reconstructions.
In Soviet times, in 1967, a master plan for the development of Suzdal was adopted, according to 
which it became a museum town. On the outskirts of the town, in Korovniki, the main tourist 
complex was built, and museum exhibitions were opened. Restoration of monuments and 
town improvement works were carried out. In 1974 Suzdal was awarded the Order of 
the Badge of Honor for the preservation of cultural heritage and the development of 
tourism. In 1982 the International Federation of Journalists and Writers on Tourism awarded 
Suzdal the “Golden Apple” prize for achievements in the development of international tourism. 
In 1992 UNESCO included Suzdal’s white-stone monuments in the list of World Heritage sites.
The basis of economic activity in the town consists of industries focused on 
receiving and serving tourists: hotel business and public catering.
In the 2000s, as a result of reorganization, the Suzdal sewing factory, a workshop 
for the production of birch bark, clay and ceramic souvenirs were merged into a 
single enterprise — “Suzdal Souvenir Workshop.” The Suzdal Dairy Plant is operating in the town.
The truly signature drink of Suzdal is mead. And the town has a plant producing mead — JSC “Suzdal 
Mead-Brewing Plant.” I want to warn you that it may seem that mead is a low-alcohol beverage. 
Thanks to its honey flavor, it is easy to drink. However, for this very reason it is very 
easy to drink much more than necessary to stay in condition. Keep this in mind and be careful!
Here are also industrial enterprises in the town: LLC “Suzdal Sewing Factory,” JSC “Suzdal 
Confectionery Factory,” furniture factory JSC “Interior,” LLC “Obuvpolymer,” 
LLC “Dymov Ceramics,” and a manufactory. In 2007, on the basis of a woodworking 
production, the factory “Vladimiro-Suzdalskiye Uzory (Vladimir-Suzdal Ornaments)” 
was opened in Suzdal. Initially, since 1971, it had been located in Vladimir.
Various cultural events are held in Suzdal: Town Day is held every second Saturday 
of August and includes a costume parade, concerts, master classes, and ends with fireworks.
Since 2002, the Suzdal Tourist Complex has hosted the annual Open Russian Festival of Animated Film, 
which is the main showcase of Russian animation. Every year on the second Saturday of July the 
Cucumber Festival is held in Suzdal at the Museum of Wooden Architecture.
Since 2010 an annual Russian Bath Festival has been held.
Of course, in Suzdal here is The Mead Festival. In October the annual local history readings 
“Suzdal in the History of Russia” are held. Since 2008 the annual “SUZDAL 
BLUES-BIKE FESTIVAL” also has been held. Last year, in 2024, in honor of 
the town’s millennium anniversary, an international fireworks festival, usually held 
in Moscow, took place in Suzdal on August 23–24. As for education, Suzdal has:
Suzdal branch of the St. Petersburg Institute of Culture
Suzdal Industrial-Humanitarian College Vladimir Scientific Research 
Institute of Agriculture Suzdal has preserved a large 
number of architectural monuments: The very center of Suzdal and the Suzdal Kremlin 
with its three churches at the fortress ramparts: Assumption Church (built in 17th century) St. Nicholas Church (built in 1739)
Nativity of Christ Church (built in 1775) Spaso-Evfimiev Monastery
Pokrovsky Monastery Alexandrovsky Monastery
Rizopolozhensky Monastery Vasilyevsky Monastery
The ensemble of the Trading Square and the Trading Rows
More churches like Church of the Resurrection (built in 1732)
Church of Our Lady of Kazan (built in 1739) Church of Constantine and Helena 
(Tsare-Constantinovskaya) (built in 1707) Church of the Icon of Our Lady of 
All Who Sorrow Joy (built in 1787) Church of Paraskeva Pyatnitsa (built in 1772)
In total about 45 churches and chapels! The burial mound cemetery “Mzhar” is a necropolis 
of medieval Suzdal (11th–12th centuries), located on the southeastern outskirts of the modern 
town between the Mzhara and Kamenka rivers. The fire tower in the town center.
Four kilometers from Suzdal is the village of Kideksha, which served as the country residence 
of Prince Yuri Dolgorukiy, the founder of Moscow. The Borisoglebskaya Church (built around 1152) 
has been preserved in the village — a monument of pre-Mongol yoke architecture.
Here are also monuments: Bust of Dmitry Pozharsky
Monument to Vladimir Lenin Monument to the residents of the 
town who died during World War II Monument to Andrei Tarkovsky 
and his film Andrei Rublev On the territory of Suzdal are museum 
sites of the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Reserve and the Archbishop’s Chambers.
Suzdal, practically untouched by the industrial revolution, is one of the few 
places suitable for filming historical movies. More than 60 feature films have been 
shot in the town and its surroundings. Streets in various Russian towns, as well 
as the Suzdal Lakes in St. Petersburg, are named after Suzdal.
Suzdal is a town where you can feel the true “old Russia, Old Rus’” 
As you can see, the historical layout, numerous churches and monasteries have been 
preserved here, and the atmosphere has hardly changed over the past centuries. That is why 
the town is considered a jewel of Russian culture and annually attracts thousands of 
tourists from Russia and around the world. I hope you enjoyed this trip around Suzdal! 
If you want to see more towns of Russia, don’t forget to subscribe and also consider 
joining Membership to contribute to the new trips! Sergey Baklykov, “All of 
Russia” channel, Baklykov.Live!

Riding around Suzdal, the most preserved town of ancient Russia, founded in 1024. It is located in Vladimir region of Russia – about 25km north of Vladimir (the main city of region) and 200km east of Moscow.

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