One of the oldest Russian religious buildings is the Church of St. George the Victorious in Vladimir. In 1129, Yuri Dolgoruky himself ordered a church to be built in his princely court in honor of his patron saint, the holy great martyr George. The construction was completed in 1157 by the son of the grand prince, Andrei Bogolyubsky. The ancient church stood for more than six centuries, but perished in a fire in 1778.
The new white-stone church was rebuilt in 1784 and was given a more cheerful appearance than its predecessor. The result was a graceful two-story building in the Baroque style, crowned with a drum and an onion dome. In 1847, a side chapel in honor of Prince Vladimir was added to the southern part of the church. The paintings on the walls and ceiling of the church date back to the early 19th century. It is certainly worth noting that this church contains ancient burial vaults where the mother and brother of Alexander Nevsky rest.
In the 1930s, the church was closed, like many other churches in Soviet times. For several decades, various organizations completely unrelated to religion were housed here, which led to damage to valuable paintings and the interior. At present, the interior decoration is undergoing careful restoration. In 2006, the Church of St. George the Victorious officially came under the jurisdiction of the Vladimir diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church.
