USPENSKIY CATHEDRAL is a fine example of Russian architecture of the 12th century. The cathedral was the new capital's largest con struction project. It was founded in 1158, simul taneously with the start of construction of a defen sive ring around the city. For the building of the cathedral 'the Lord brought artisans from all the lands', including western countries. It was compared in its beauty to the Temple of Solomon. In 1185, the cathedral was damaged by a large fire. Since it could not be restored to the way it was, it was surrounded by galleries, each of which had four cupolas on its corners. The reconstruction was finished in 1189, but in 1238 the invading Tartars set fire to the cathedral, where many people, including the prince's family, took refuge. The structure was damaged by fire, but did not collapse. Yet the history of its misadventures was not over. It burned many more times, in addition to being pillaged. Up until the first half of the 15th century, the Uspenskiy was Russia's main cathedral, where grand princes were crowned tzars. The Russian land's holy of holies, the icon of the Vladimirskaya Virgin, was here. The icon was painted by Luke (of the Gospel) on a board from a table belonging to the Holy Family. In the fifth century, it was taken from Jerusalem to Constantinople. In the 12th century, Luka Hrisoverg, the patriarch of Constantinople, sent it as a gift to the grand prince Yury Dolgorukiy. In 1155, prince Andrei, Dolgorukiy's son, received from his father as appanage the crown land of Vyshgorod Kievskiy, where the icon was placed in a women's convent. Miraculously, the icon left its resting place and levitated in the air. After the miracle occurred again, it was interpreted by prince Andrei to mean that the icon wanted to be placed in another cathe dral. He brought it to Vladimir, Russia's new capital, where it was placed in Uspenskiy Cathedral. In 1185, the cathedral burned, but the icon was untouched. Neither did it suffer any harm in the pillaging of Vladimir by the Tartars and another fire in the cathe dral. In 1395, during Tamerlane's invasion, the icon was temporarily brought to Moscow. In commemoration of the miraculous victory over the invaders on Kulikovo field, Sretenskiy Cathedral was built in Moscow. The icon was perma nently transferred to Moscow in 1408. Many miracles are tied to the icon of the Vladimirskaya Virgin. It was considered the patron of the Russian land, and can now be seen at the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. Uspenskiy Cathedral possesses the (world's) largest collection of the frescoes of Andrei Rublyov, the genius old Russian master. In front of the cathedral's iconostasis is his 1408 composition entitled 'Judgment Day', Entering the southern gallery, we can see another fresco — 'The March of the Righteous into Heaven'. Across from it is a fresco painted with Daniil Chyorniy, called the 'Loins of Abraham'.