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Vladimir is one of the oldest Russian cities. The cronicles set the date of its founding at 1108. Later in the 12th century Vladimir became the political center of the Russian state, replacing Kiev in this capacity when Prince Andre Bogolyubski moved his capital Northeast: it was at that time that the great cathedrals--the main tourist attaction of the city nowadays--were erected. Not to say that the dear sister of Bloomington-Normal is particularly religious--like most of Russia Vladimir is a very godless place; but its ancient cathedrals are beautiful; those cathedrals, alongside with the Goden Gate of Vladimir, are all what is left of the city's days of glory.

Dormition Cathedral, the foundation of which was laid in 1158, became the architectural and spiritual center of the city and of the entire vast Vladimir principality. In the course of centuries it has been destroyed and re-built a few times, so nowadays have but a glimps of its original splendor. The murals inside the cathedral were painted by the greatest Russian artist of the Middle Ages, Andrei Rublev; some of them have been well preserved, and can be seen. Perfection of design, great antiquity, historic significance--all of these are present in the Dormition Cathedral. A poem

Few people know, though, that this, perhaps the greatest of the temples of Russia, for almost a decade and a half used to be a museum of atheism (!) after it was closed down in 1927 by then communist authorities. Nowadays the cathedral is surrounded by an amusement park;the city's most notorious summer disco is about fifty yards West from the walls of the temple; fights break out almost every night. It is a really nice recreation area, though. The place is beautiful, especially in summer, when from a majestic view of the Klyazma, the river, and the woods surrounding the city, opens up from the top of the steep hill, upon which the Dormition Cathedral stands.

St.Demetrius Cathedral was built by Prince Vsevolod III, baptized Dmitri, for his personal use. It is located about three hundred yards East of the great Dormition Cathedral. The prince's church was far from spacious and could not accommodate many people; only the chosen few got to see its insides. But the cathedral itself--the emblem of the city of God, an icon in stone--became an object of worship. Its scullptured decorations, representing scenes from the Old and New Testament--more than a thousand carved stones on the outside--are absolutely magnificent. A few years ago I managed to peep in through the doors which were accidentally left open by the people who worked on the restoration of the temple; there was nothing but bare walls, the cathedral had been stripped of all interior ornaments. It was summer outside, but inside it was almost freezing; the heavy stones emitted the cold of the centuries. Another poem

The Church of the Intercession on the Nerl (1165), located in Bogolyubovo, a historical suburb of Vladimir is one of the most poetic creations of Russian architecture. In my life I have been to many places, travelled almost around the world, but I cannot think of another place so devinely beautiful and so completely serene. The bank of the river upon which the church stands used to be a camping ground much loved by hippies; I have never been a hippy, but went there more than once with my friends to spend many happy hours by a campfire. And yet another one