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Imperiia: a spatial history of the Russian Empire

Vladimir's Golden Age

In the Middle Ages, Vladimir was the provincial capital of Suzdalia. It was considered to be one of the most prosperous towns of Rus’ with a relatively large population. Vladimir’s strategic location on the river network likely enabled its growth and prosperity. Along with several other towns on the trade route, including Kiev and Novgorod, artisans in Vladimir learned the Byzantine methods for glazing pottery and tiles, producing glassware, beads, windowpains and for creating finely crafted jewellery. All goods were traded domestically and externally through the river network depicted by this map.

The Volga Trade Route brought Oriental goods to the Caspian Sea and up the Volga River from Bulgar to Vladimir. During the 12^th century, Suzdalia asserted control over the Volga Trade Route, which helped to boost the economy of Vladimir. As Vladimir’s strength and wealth increased, important architectural monuments were funded such as the Church of Domition (1158) and the Golden Gates (1164). Ultimately, Prince Andrey Bogolyubsky moved the capital of northeastern Rus’ from Kiev to Vladimir.

For some time Vladimir was one of the most powerful cities in Rus’. However, Vladimir’s power was relatively short lived due to the Mongol invasion in 1238. Vladimir and all of Suzdalia were subjugated to submission to the khan and the Golden Horde. Moscow, which was only a small town at the time of Vladimir’s height of power, was less affected by Mongol raids. Surrounded by densely forested and swampy areas, Moscow was located north of the Mongol center of power in the steppes. Thus, Moscow was largely left untouched by the Mongols. Due to its strategic location as the center of a network of rivers demonstrated by the map above, as well as the relative lack of Mongol interference, Moscow replaced Vladimir as the capital of northeastern Rus’ by 1304.

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