Vladimir is the unique Russian city with the millennial history, which starts at the end of the X century when Kievan Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich founded the city on the bank of the Klyazma River. By the middle of the XII century the city became the capital of the North-East Russian State and was adorned with such architectural gems as the Golden Gate, Uspensky Cathedral, Dmitrievsky Cathedral and a variety of churches. By the middle of the XIII century the state was attacked by the Tatar-Mongol tribes and Vladimir went into a decline. The renaissance of the city began only in XV-XVI centuries, when the future Russian capital - Moscow became to get power. Since XVII Vladimir constantly expanded and developed, keeping the magnificence and unique charm of the ancient city. Today Vladimir is the center of the Vladimirskaya Region, its industrial, educational and cultural center.
