The Intercession on the Nerl is considered to be the most perfect and beautiful temple among those ever built in Rus', in addition, it is the greatest monument of world architectural art. It’s not entirely convenient to get to the church on the Nerl, but all the effort is worth it. The temple is really very beautiful, not a single photograph will convey to you all the beauty of this place, and this is exactly the case when it is better to see once than to hear a hundred times. It is not for nothing that the UNESCO World Heritage Fund included it in the list of protected sites along with other white-stone monuments of the Vladimir region.
Church of the Intercession on the Nerl divine services
Liturgy in the church is celebrated rarely, on the patronal feast day (Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos; October 1/14), as well as on the Lord’s twelve feasts, of which there are only eight:
- Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14/27)
- Christmas (December 25/January 7)
- Epiphany of the Lord (January 6/19)
- Presentation of the Lord (February 2/15)
- Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (last Sunday before Easter)
- Ascension of the Lord (fortieth day after Easter)
- Trinity Day (fiftieth day after Easter)
- Transfiguration of the Lord (August 6/19).
How to get to the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl on your own
Bogolyubovo is 13 kilometers away from Vladimir. By car, leave the city along the M7 highway (to Nizhny Novgorod). After passing the wall of the Bogolyubsky Monastery (remains on the right hand), you need to turn right at the traffic light. The road goes sharply down and leads to the Bogolyubovo railway station. You will have to leave your car in the parking lot next to it and make the further journey on foot - along a stone-paved path through Bogolyubovsky Meadow (about one and a half kilometers).
You can also get to Bogolyubov by bus: routes No. 18 and No. 152 go here from Vladimir.
GPS coordinates: 56.19625,40.56135
How to get to the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl? Is there parking nearby?
How to get to the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl? Is there parking nearby?
The Church of the Intercession on the Nerl, built in the 12th century, is located near the village of Bogolyubovo, Vladimir region. Since the small church is included in the list of Cultural Heritage of Russia, the entire area surrounding the monument is located in a protected area. For this reason, any movement by vehicle in the area of the temple itself is prohibited by local law. There are two ways to get to the shrine. The first method involves stopping in the village of Bogolyubovo, paying for a paid parking space at the railway station and walking along a dedicated paved path to the temple itself. You will have to walk about 1.5 kilometers, for which you need to be prepared. Another method is suitable for summer time. Personal transport can be left completely free of charge on the territory of the Bogolyubsky Monastery, and either walk to the temple in the same way, or use draft transport. For Bogolyubov, such a specific type of transport is a horse-drawn cart, on which guests and pilgrims are taken not only to the temple, but also back.
Church/Temple of the Intercession on the Nerl" is located at the address: Vladimir region, Suzdal district, Bogolyubovo village. The temple is located in the middle of a field, and there is no road to it; all traffic is prohibited. Therefore, everyone who is going to visit this famous monument of Dnieper Russian architecture needs to get (by bus, train or car) to the Bogolyubovo station and then travel 1.5 km along a paved path on foot or pay and ride in a horse-drawn cart. You can leave your car in a paid parking lot near the Bogolyubovo railway station or in a free parking lot near the entrance to the Bogolyubsky Monastery.
If you set out to get acquainted with the historical sights of Vladimir and its environs, then of course the Bogolyubsky Monastery, which is located a few kilometers from Vladimir (Bogolyubovo village, old road to Nizhny Novgorod), will be on your list. Well, if you are lucky enough to get to the monastery, sacrifice an hour of your precious time and visit the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl. True, the path to the church is quite long (to be more precise, from Bogolyubovo station to the church you have to cover 1.3 km (one way) over rough terrain, through flooded meadows (therefore, during a flood, you can only get there using some kind of some kind of watercraft). One local old-timer suggested that we save time and shorten our walk in the fresh air by 500 meters. Taking him “hostage”, we, unlike other tourists, drove up immediately to the road bridge over the Nerl (it is located at the exit from the village of Bogolyubovo (if you are coming from Vladimir) and leaving the M7 highway we went down the dirt road to the river. As the old-timer assured, if you pass under the railway bridge, then the church is just a stone's throw away.
The village of Bogolyubovo. Bogolyubovsky meadow.
Before we go to the main attraction of Bogolyubov - the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl, I would like to say a few words about the history of this village. It is known primarily for the fact that from 1157 to 1174 the official residence of Grand Duke Andrei Bogolyubsky was located here. One of the legends of the appearance of the Mother of God is connected with the foundation of Bogolyubovo.
When the Grand Duke decided to transport the icon of the Mother of God from Vladimir to Rostov, a few kilometers from the city the horses stopped dead in their tracks and refused to move further. Andrei’s detachment decided to spend the night in this place, and on the same night the Mother of God appeared to the Grand Duke, who gave the order to build a monastery on this place. It turns out that the village of Bogolyubovo is already more than 850 years old, and it is even older than such a famous ancient Russian city as Nizhny Novgorod .
The road to the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl passes through the historical and landscape reserve “Bogolyubovsky Meadow - Church of the Intercession on the Nerl”. It appeared according to the decree of the governor of the Vladimir region in 2003, and in 2011 it was reorganized. Bogolyubovsky Meadow is considered a tract rich in flora; more than 290 species of various plants grow on its territory, some of them are listed in the Red Book of the Vladimir Region. We understand absolutely nothing about flowers and grass, so we simply enjoyed the fresh air and silence, and climbed around the field a little - we hope that we did not destroy some very rare flower with our feet.
