Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral

The Transfiguration Cathedral of the 12th century is the oldest church in Pereslavl–Zalessky and the earliest surviving architectural monument of the Vladimir-Suzdal school of architecture. It is one of the first stone structures erected in the middle of the 12th century. It was founded simultaneously with the foundation of Pereslavl in 1152 by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky, and completed 5 years later, under his son Andrey Bogolyubsky. The cathedral was both a princely church and a fortress garrison.

From ancient times to the present day, the cathedral remains one of the main city-forming elements of Pereslavl-Zalessky. In 2015, it was classified as a particularly valuable cultural heritage site of the peoples of Russia.

It was in this cathedral that Alexander Nevsky was baptized and tonsured into the principality. St. Sergius of Radonezh was ordained abbot here. Alexander Nevsky's son and grandson, Princes Dmitry Alexandrovich and Ivan Dmitrievich, are buried here. In this cathedral, the militia of Minin and Pozharsky prayed for victory over the Lithuanians, and the brilliant Chaliapin sang an all-night vigil in the choirs.

After the scientific restoration in 2015, the cathedral acquired a look closest to the original, and graffiti is now visible on the ancient walls, in particular, a sensational inscription was found – a medieval graffiti monument of early medieval epigraphy, which includes a list of 20 conspirators who killed St. Prince Andrew Bogolyubsky in 1174.