Vladimir and Suzdal were a breath of fresh air from the constant bombardment to the senses that is Moscow. The differences in density, structures, and building usages all vary between the cities, and I think understanding these differences, albeit very obvious ones, were crucial in my shaping my experience in both Vladimir and Suzdal, and also now, having returned to Moscow. In Moscow, for the most part, the buildings are massive, packed together, and are used somewhat equally for residential, business, and entertainment purposes. Of course, there are plenty of churches and cathedrals squeezed in between, but other than the iconic cathedrals, such as Saint Basil’s Cathedral and the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, which stand in open areas that allow them to be seen, most of the smaller churches and cathedrals I walk by only get a short glance from me. That isn’t to say they aren’t elaborate or beautiful, but just that the Soviet-era and government buildings attract my attention more simply because they are bigger, taller, and more common.

Vladimir has about 3% the population of Moscow and thus was significantly different in terms of what caught my eye. There are no towering buildings, and although there are still large blocks of residential and business buildings, they are not very tall or elaborate. In Moscow, when you are near the center of the city (or even far away), you can most of the time use one of the tall buildings (for me, ГЗ of МГУ) as a visual landmark to take note of where you are in the city. In most places, you can probably see a towering building either nearby or in the distance. Obviously, you can’t do this in Vladimir. I think the effect of having no massive, extravagant buildings to reference myself to, and most importantly, to compare other buildings to, made the interesting buildings I did see not just more visually appealing, but more memorable. The Dormition Cathedral is probably the “main” cathedral of Vladimir, and to be honest, if it were to be instead in Moscow, I probably wouldn’t be too impressed with it, as I would be comparing it to either St. Basil’s or that super tall building down the street. It would be great to have an unbiased opinion on everything I see, but unfortunately I am going to be comparing everything I see to the best thing I have already seen; however, I didn’t encounter this problem in Vladimir. There was nothing greater than the Dormition Cathedral, St. Demetrius’s Cathedral, and the Golden Gate, and so they hold more power to me when they would probably be “average” buildings to me if saw them in Moscow.

This effect was unsurprisingly greatest in Suzdal, where there was a significant lack of any modern or Soviet-era buildings. Everything was small, and though there were plenty of churches, cathedrals, and monasteries, they all stood out on their own, simply because they are taller and more elaborate than the small, rather uninteresting buildings that sparsely surrounds them; however, they don’t dominate their surroundings like Moscow’s structures. The pointed tops of all the religious buildings can clearly be distinguished from the surrounding buildings, and from the top of the Prepodobenskaya Bell Tower practically all of them can be seen, but at the same time, they don’t “hide” the other buildings, perceptually (they don’t significantly draw your attention away) or physically.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What I have described about the building differences is blatantly obvious, as all three towns are different sizes and histories. Of course Suzdal is not going to have skyscrapers or giant Soviet buildings: it’s only a town of 10,000 people. It’s the same as literally anywhere else in the world. But I didn’t really think about this until arriving in Suzdal. At no point in my life has overstimulation ever been a problem for me. It just doesn’t happen in Northfield, or back home in the Chicago suburbs, or anywhere else I have lived. I have never spent more than one week in a major city, so this is a completely new experience for me. Being able to see each individual building in plain sight from the top of the Bell Tower made me realize that sensory overload is a real problem, and can happen from being in Moscow for only one month. I don’t mean that I am sick with an actual disorder, but that from simply walking around the city on a daily basis, my perception of anything new is distorted. I’ve already seen all the really cool stuff, so how am I supposed to be in awe of something I see as lesser? Being conscious of this problem certainly helps, but unfortunately, it doesn’t completely shake it.

It is unfortunate that it wasn’t until our trip to Vladimir and Suzdal that I came to the realization that I am too dismissive of the things I pass by in Moscow, but I am glad to have realized this upon arrival to Suzdal. I was able to appreciate Vladimir and Suzdal for what they had, rather than setting myself up for disappointment by always comparing them to what’s in Moscow. I want to be more attentive to the little things not just in Moscow, but in St. Petersburg, Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude, and at Lake Baikal, so that I can bring back better memories rather than just the “big” things, or, what any given tourist is going to remember.