Gorodok is the place where Zvenigorod was founded by Prince Yuri the Long-Armed in 1152. Now it is a big waste ground surrounded by a 8-meter earth bank overgrown with century old pines. Unfortunately, there remained nothing of the wooden city walls and towers, as well as palaces of apanage princes. There remained only the stone cathedral of Assumption built in 1399.
The rather big, by the standard of an ancient city, flat ground surrounded by around Moscow hills was very convenient. Deep gullies with steep clay slopes were on the three sides of the hill. This gave additional defense opportunities, as it was enough to pour water on the slopes from the city walls during the siege. The clay became very slippery and greatly increased the storm of the city.
The hill of Zvenigorod Gorodok does have one gentle slope but it descends to the steep bank of the Moscow river. The one-domed Assumption cathedral was built on this side of the hill in 1399. Andrei Rublev was invited to paint the cathedral. Alas, but the paintings of Andrei Rublev didn’t survive at this cathedral, although they are being restored.
Today Gorodok isn’t one of the popular tourist sights of the Zvenigorod, so it can be reached only by a small dirt road winding among the hills. However, you will have a good opportunity to visit it during a trip to Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, as these two sights are very close to each other.
