Four kilometers from Suzdal, famous worldwide for its historical buildings, the village is located, which several centuries ago was a reliably fortified city. It is located in picturesque places - where Kamenka flows into the Nerl River. It is called a village belonging to the Suzdal district, Kideksha. There are few attractions here, however, tourists often visit these places. In this village no more than 150 people live. The history and sights of Kideksha will be discussed in the article.
Base
In 1152, on the orders of Yuri Dolgoruky, the Church of Boris and Gleb was built. Today this temple is the famous landmark of Kideksha. Historians claim that the first settlements in the village appeared long before the construction of the church. Although officially the year of foundation is considered 1152th.
In the time of Yuri Dolgoruky, the village was a separate fortified town. The prince strove for one-man rule. Yuri Dolgoruky built his yard here, around which over time, boyar settlements appeared. Kideksha was an important outpost in those days.
The fall of the city
In the XII century, Kideksha was a large city at that time, on the territory of which a strong fortress towered. This is evidenced by the remains of earthen embankments found northwest of the temple. The southern line of ramparts was supposedly located in front of the meadows, where the highway runs today.
The total length of the fortress, which could become the main attraction of Kideksha, was at least four hundred meters. However, this building was destroyed around the beginning of the XIII century. In 1238, the city was ravaged by the Tatar-Mongols. He lost his status, turned into an ordinary village. In the XIV century, in its place was a monastery, which also has not survived to the present day.
What to see in Kideksha? The attraction here, as already mentioned, is only one. However, the church of Boris and Gleb is an unusual temple. This is an architectural ensemble of high historical significance and included in the list of “White-stone monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal”. The central street of the village is part of the ancient road from Suzdal to Gorodets. This road was laid about 850 years ago.
Borisoglebskaya church in Kideksha has an interesting, eventful history. It is amazing how this building survived for so many centuries.
Kideksha Temple History
There is an assumption that the church was badly damaged by the invasion of the Tatar-Mongols at the beginning of the 13th century. However, already in 1239 the building was restored. A white-stone seat and a carved altar barrier were erected here.
In the XIII century, the population of the city began to decline sharply - many residents moved to Suzdal. In the XIV-XVII centuries the vaults of the church collapsed. Oriental pillars dismantled. At the end of the 17th century, new details appeared in the architectural appearance of the church, which have survived to this day.
In 1780, the Stefanovskaya Church was built near the temple, and later - the octagonal tent-shaped bell tower. Recent excavations in the village were carried out in 2011. Then elements of the former decoration of the temple were discovered, for example, the foundations of the late iconostasis and part of the white stone throne. Of particular artistic value is omphalia, which date back to the 12th century. In 2011, archaeologists also discovered murals and a white stone sarcophagus.
Features
The Kideksha Temple is one-headed, three-span. The church is built of quality white stone. It is often compared with the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Pereslavl Kremlin. The architecture of the Church of Boris and Gleb contains elements typical of the Romanesque style.
The Kideksha Temple is one of the first five stone Orthodox buildings in Northeast Russia. Before Yuri Dolgoruky, in these places churches were built exclusively of wood. Moreover, in those days, Northeastern Russia was a wild land. The construction of the white-stone church became the crown of the reign of Yuri Dolgoruky.
The scale of the construction of the church at that time was unprecedented. In terms of complexity, they could be compared with the construction of Egyptian pyramids. After all, they built it from white stone, and this material had to be brought from Moscow.
Today, the temple, unfortunately, is in poor condition. Serious restoration is required. Divine services are not conducted.
Where to stay
If not for the Church of Boris and Gleb, the sights of Kideksha, a hotel would hardly have appeared in this village. However, connoisseurs of Russian architecture are rarely visited here. In addition, just four kilometers away is the tourist city of Suzdal. In Kineshma you can stay at the Knyazhesky mini-hotel, located at 82 Tsentralnaya Street. However, there is only one room, so you need to call the owner in advance. Tourists visiting these places usually stop in Suzdal, from where you can get by bus number 106. The cost of a taxi from Suzdal to Kideksha is about 250 rubles.