Yuryev-Polsky, Historical town in Vladimir Oblast, Russia
Yuryev-Polsky lies along the upper course of the Koloksha River, roughly 68 kilometers northwest of Vladimir. The settlement spreads at an elevation of around 140 meters above sea level and is home to just over 17,000 inhabitants.
Prince Yury Dolgoruky founded the settlement in 1152 and named it after Saint George, adding Polsky to distinguish it from a fortress of the same name in present-day Estonia. In the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, the settlement served as a regional center of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality.
The Cathedral of Saint George preserves numerous stone sculptures visible both on its outer facade and in the interior. This building later influenced the construction of several churches in the early Moscow Kremlin, as architects adopted its proportions and design.
Regional roads connect the town with the city of Vladimir and other nearby settlements in Vladimir Oblast. Visitors can reach the main sights on foot, as they lie within the compact historic center.
The Monastery of Archangel Michael dates from the thirteenth century and includes several buildings erected between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries within fortified walls. The fortification once protected the religious complex from raids and today forms an enclosed courtyard that visitors enter through small gates.
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