The Transfiguration cathedral
This most ancient Pereslavl temple decorates the historical centre of the town – Red square. It is built in Byzantine style from white limestone and is situated in complex with artificial mound of XII century. Pereslavl Transfiguration cathedral was founded in 1152 by the founder of the town Jury Dolgoruky. It is one of the main sights not only of Pereslavl, but of the whole north-eastern part of Russia. For 850 years now, on Red Square, a white single-domed church has stood out against the background of the old town ramparts. The Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Savior, the most ancient church of Vadimirsko-Suzdalskaya architecture school, was erected between 1152 and 1157. It is built of white limestone, has walls that are one and a half meters thick and stands 34 meters high. Initially, the church was intended for the needs of the Prince’s court and the town fortress’s guards. The cathedral was the main church of Pereslavl and a burial place for its Princes, Dmitriy Alexandrovich and Ivan Dmitrievich (1294-1302). Preserved until the present day are the temple icon “Transfiguration” of the 14th century, which you can see now in the Tretyakov Gallery, and the silver cup of the 12th century, exhibited in the Armory Chamber. Unfortunately, the ancient frescoes of the 12th century have not survived. The marble iconostasis was installed in the 19th century. Nowadays, the Cathedral is a monument of national significance and a branch of the Pereslavl-Zalessky Museum-Preserve. |
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