The Vologda Kremlin complex, Russia

The Vologda Kremlin complex had been built for several centuries, its constructions of different periods are not similar in their form. The Vologda Kremlin complex traditionally includes the former Archbishop’s yard with its high fortifications, inseparably linked with the walls of the Resurrection cathedral and the Sofia belltower. The monumental St. Sofia cathedral which stands on a high bank of the Vologda river is the first stone temple of the city. It is outside the Kremlin walls, but its severe, majestic beauty most of all draws the attention of the Kremlin visitors. The St. Sofia cathedral is specially marked for the laconic architectural style. The construction of the temple is closely connected with the name of Ivan the Terrible. In 1568, during his third arrival to Vologda, tsar Ivan the Terrible ordered to begin the construction of the cathedral church of the Dormition of the Holy Virgin inside the city near the Archbishop’s yard. Chronicles testify, that the tsar attached great importance to the idea of the cathedral construction: stone-work of the cathedral was quite often conducted under the supervision of the sovereign.

Credits: Cult info