Alexandrov, Historical capital city in Vladimir Oblast, Russia
Alexandrov is a town in Alexandrovsky District, Vladimir Oblast, located about 75 miles (120 kilometers) northeast of Moscow along the Seraya River. The center is dominated by a medieval fortress of white limestone, surrounded by streets with low wooden houses and orthodox chapels.
Ivan IV moved his court here and ruled the realm from this place between 1564 and 1581. The fortress became his power base, from which he persecuted political opponents and founded the oprichnina.
The fortress preserves five churches from the age of Ivan the Terrible, including the Trinity Cathedral with its iconostasis from that era. Visitors find a scriptorium where religious manuscripts were once copied by hand.
The railway station sits on the Moscow–Yaroslavl line and is served by suburban trains, with a journey lasting about two hours. The museum and churches within the kremlin are open to visitors, though interiors can feel cool during winter months.
The fortress contains an underground passage that may have served as an escape route or prison. The local foundry produced bells, several of which remain on display in the museum today.
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