2 Best Sights in Side Trips from Moscow, Russia

Most of Andrei Bogolyubsky's construction projects were in Bogolyubovo, 10 km (6 miles) east of Vladimir. Near the convergence of the Nerl and Klyazma rivers, he built an impressive fort and living compound. The dominant building in the compound today is the richly decorated Cathedral of the Assumption (Uspensky Sobor), rebuilt in the 19th century. Remnants of his quarters—a tower and an archway—still stand. It was on the stairs of this tower that Andrei, despised by many for his authoritarian rule, was stabbed to death by several members of his inner circle. In the 13th century, Bogolyubovo became a convent, which it remains today. In 1702 Andrei was canonized.

Originally, Vladimir had four gates guarding the main approaches to the town. The 12th-century Golden Gates, which stand in the middle of ulitsa Moskovskaya, a few hundred yards west of the Cathedral of the Assumption, guarded the western approach. The main road from Moscow to Siberia passed through these gates, which, starting in the 1800s, became a significant monument on the infamous Vladimirka—the road that prisoners took east to Siberia.