A Town of Fifty Churches and One Lake

18 points23 km6.55 hours

A walk around Pereslavl-Zalessky won't be quick, but it will certainly be fascinating. Panoramic views, myths and legends, ancient churches, and plenty of pleasant impressions await you in this town on Russia's Golden Ring.

Route author

Susanin Team

Things to do

📜 Learn the city's history
🏛️🕰️ Compare the eras
🏰🕵️‍♂️ Discover a legend

Route points (18)

Goritsky Dormition Monastery Ensemble in Pereslavl-Zalessky

Point on route “A Town of Fifty Churches and One Lake”

Point 4

Goritsky Dormition Monastery Ensemble

🕍 Place of worship • 🏟️ Architectural landmark

Historical Background

The monastery was founded under Ivan Kalita, devastated by the Tatars in 1382, and restored with the help of Dmitry Donskoy and Grand Princess Eudoxia. It takes its name from its location on a rise, a goritsa (“little hill”). Among the abbots and monks of the Dormition cloister were well-known churchmen. In 1744, by decree of Empress Elizabeth, a bishop's house* was established in the monastery, which was designated a cathedral monastery. In 1789 the main monastery church was designated the town cathedral, and the buildings inside passed into civilian use.

Architecture

The main building of the ensemble is the Dormition Cathedral, built in the late 17th century in the “Pereslavl Baroque” style. Its vaults and walls are decorated with stucco. The gilded iconostasis is an 18th-century original that miraculously survived the revolution. Also on the monastery grounds are a belfry, the Church of All Saints, the Church of the Epiphany, and the Chapel of St. George the Victorious, while the walls have the Northeast and Southwest towers and the Holy Gates. On the outside, the walls are roughly as tall as a 5–6-story building. The buildings' original appearance was altered by rebuilding in the 18th and 19th centuries. Earlier, their facades had details typical of the 17th century that gave them a festive look.

Today

Today the monastery houses the Pereslavl-Zalessky State Historical, Architectural, and Art Museum-Reserve. No restoration work has been done here since 1994. Experts recommend closing it to visitors in order to stabilize the temperature and humidity in the buildings and preserve the architectural heritage. *A bishop's house is a church administrative institution through which a bishop governs the clergy under his authority. In 1918 the Bolsheviks abolished bishops' houses.