A tour of beautiful Vladimir-Suzdal, once capital of a mighty Russian principality

Among the great Russian principalities, Vladimir-Suzdal will forever be remembered as being the cradle from which Moscow emerged.

It was the Vladimir dialect that eventually developed into the old Moscow dialect, which formed the basis for Modern Russian as opposed to the other Russian languages: Ukrainian and Belarussian, so the principality of Vladimir-Suzdal together with Kiev and Novgorod represent the foundations of old Russia.

While Vladimir remains a large provincial city, nearby Suzdal itself, which was a great city before Moscow was a concept, is a shadow of what it was. The town doesn’t even have a train station, which is why our trip to Suzdal begins in Vladimir.

One can easily see the legacy of Vladimir-Suzdal in Moscow, by comparing the primary Cathedrals of the two cities respectively.

Suzdal itself is a pretty town, not far from Vladimir, known for its famous Mead, a staple of the Old Russian world, as common as Vodka in Old Rus’

Much can be said about Suzdal, its impossible to talk about Russian history without mentioning it, and for those who wish to see more, Russia Beyond has already published the works of Professor William Brumfield, a great expert on Russian architecture, where you can find several of his articles on the topic of Suzdal as well as Vladimir.

In the video above, also by Russia Beyond, coincidently, you will love the quaint ride through the countryside on horse-pulled sleigh, the great hall of an old Russian royal court, which may remind you of the Nord halls in Skyrim, if not only for the architecture, then for the mead.

Suzdal is a magical place, and Russian history is open for anyone who wants to come and see.