The Cathedral of the Nativity is an Orthodox Church in the Diocese of Vladimir and Suzdal, located in the Suzdal Kremlin. It is one of the most interesting monuments of ancient Russian architecture. Nowadays, the Cathedral of the Nativity is an active church and at the same time a part of the Vladimir-Suzdal museum.
The first building of the cathedral dates back to the XI century, the time of the reign of Vladimir Monomakh. In 1222, under a decree of Yuri Vsevolodovich, the dilapidated building was demolished, and in its place, there was built a new one of white stone. It stood up to the XVI century. In 1528, the white-stone walls were demolished and replaced with brick ones. The three-headed cathedral becomes a five-domed one, and in the XVII century, it was painted inside. Thus, up to the present day, the cathedral came with major changes. The interior preserved wall paintings of the XIII, XV, XVII centuries.
Throughout its history, the church has repeatedly burned. There are buried sons of Prince Yuri Dolgoruky, the princes of the Shuiskis, etc. in the cathedral. The Cathedral of the Nativity is a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the name «White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal.»
The first solemn services were held in the Cathedral of The Nativity in 1991. Currently, the cathedral is under the joint jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Vladimir-Suzdal museum. The agreement on the joint use of the cathedral was signed in February 1992. Since then, there are held regular church services in the cathedral, at other times there is an open museum exhibition.
