Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Saviour

At the northwestern end of Krasnaya pl, standing out against the background of the grassy remains of the ancient town walls, is one of the oldest buildings in Russia: this brilliant-white limestone church with a single sea-green dome, was built from 1152 to 1157 for Prince Yury Dolgoruky and his court (and restored in 2015). The interior is cool and hushed thanks to the 1.5m-thick walls. Inside is a 19th-century marble iconostasis; sadly, the original 12th-century frescoes have not survived.