Journey through Vladimir

I thought for a long time whether to write this review, and then decided that our ruins are less interesting than the ruins of foreign ones, to which hiking trails are traversed, wide in the international highway, and began to write.

In one of the April issues of the magazine “Tourism and Recreation” they saw a photo of an amazing castle and a small note about it that this castle is not in France, but quite close – in the Vladimir region. There were 4 days of idleness ahead, so the family council decided to eat. And so on the second day of labor holidays, having slept and had breakfast, about noon they took a course on Muromtsevo p., Vladimir region.

They didn’t even know how long to go to Muromtsevo. We were guided only by a note from the article, which said that after the fork on the Murom you need to get to Sedugda. The map was only the highways of the Moscow region, where we did not know this Sudogda. Pushed into the traffic jam of the Gorky highway almost to Kupavna, jumped out on the operational expanse of the intercity route.

The traffic police apparently still came to their senses after the festive table, they were not observed on the road. They flew to Vladimirskaya fork in 2 hours, stopped only to photograph the elegant church of the Kazan Mother of God in Lakinsk (it turned out that it was built in 1693). 2-3 km before the Vladimir fork, in the store at the gas station, they tried to find out whether it was far from Sedugda. No, after turning 5 miles, we got the answer.

I wonder after what turn was meant? In general, after the turn on Murom, we drove another 35 km. There is no normal road in Sedugda and Muromtsev. No, asphalt was there once, but it must have been in corn times.

Now, on the local streets you can drive at a speed of 5 km / h. With this incredible speed, you risk earning yourself a few bumps and not counting the nuts on your iron trot. In order not to get lost in the labyrinth of this off-road, they asked the locals for the way. Local aborigines know exactly what interests the aliens and are directed towards some pioneer-communist signage, and there already with legs. Leaving their iron horse in the shadow of the old manor building (now the local sports school), they clarified the direction of the coach-teacher and went to get acquainted with the estate of Khrapovitsky.

It is hard to believe that this estate was built at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. Apparently, the new one really impressed both compatriots and foreigners. Now striking destruction and desolation that occurred in the estate in Soviet times.

It is hard to believe that for 30 years the former Khrapovitsky Palace, which housed the forest technical school until 1979, has turned into picturesque ruins.

From the water cascade with a fountain at the end, there remained only a stunted alley and a round puddle. A huge pond at the end of this alley turned into a overgrown duckweed, a mecca of local fishermen.

From the huge arboretum, broken up around the palace, there were single trees brought here from distant edges, and centuries-old lime trees and birches. Against the background of cherry and cherry blossoms, the destruction of its former splendor looked most depressing. Local boys climbed the ruins of the palace, and few tourists, like us, who came here to capture the vanishing beauty.

I looked at all this and thought: “Here would Luzhkov – he would restore all this, made the road, and tourists would fall here with a rampart, both ours and foreign.” But here, another governor and tourism are not our country's main income. Past the church of Queen Alexandra, more reminiscent of the structure of the XV-XVI century., than the same age as the estate, returned to the car.

After eating sandwiches with coffee from a thermos, they decided to drive to Vladimir, especially from the fork to it 15 km. The return road to the fork Murom-Vladimir was overcome instantly. A minute after 5-10 after the fork in the distance, Vladimir-Grad loomed. The city is located on the high bank of Klyazma.

Its main attraction, the Assumption Cathedral, the city built in the most prominent place. Right from the road, the city appears as a fairy tale city, sparkling with gold domes of churches and cathedrals, white and red buildings looked very elegant among the greenery of the newborn foliage. Having wandered a little through unfamiliar streets, we, nevertheless, got to Cathedral Square. The square and part of the city, which managed to pass, were festively clean and elegant. It was Friday, wedding day across the country.

Vladimir newlyweds also decided to make their contribution to the increase in the number of new families in the country, at least, wedding motorcade on Cathedral Square at this time gathered about 2 dozen. The newlyweds scattered throughout the square and arranged photo shoots of their wedding at the most interesting places in the city. We tried to capture the beauty of this place and admire the view of Vladimir land, which opens from the observation deck. There were Easter days and it was possible to inspect the temples inside, but firstly we did not have headscarves, and secondly not all temples at this time were serviced and therefore they were closed to idle onlookers.

However, the husband from some side entrance came to the Assumption Cathedral. He liked it very much, but he did not dare to take pictures there, because most likely, as in all of Russia, this can not be done (strangely, but in the Vatican, Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Europe - you can). Invisibly time passed by 5 p.m. It was time to return home to Moscow in the dark. But how could you leave and not see Vladimir’s Golden Gate? Here we go. I let my father take a picture of the gate.

It was our mistake - my father was missing for 30 minutes, but brought a picture of what we couldn't get to. The GAI woke up on the way back. We were stopped 2 times: on the long-distance highway, a settlement – a speed of no more than 60 km, as a result, we dragged home for more than 5 hours.

Now, looking at the photos, I think that it would be necessary to leave early and stock up on the map of Vladimir, so that you could walk around the city, and not only in the center to spin. It was necessary to stock up on a scarf or scarf to inspect the cathedrals not only outside, but also inside, and to Suzdal very close - you could drive to see.

Photo: varlamov