History of Russia: The foundation of the church of the early XVII century was discovered in Vladimir-on-Klyazma

Russian scientists have found in Vladimir-on-Klyazma traces of late medieval church Paraskeva Friday and its cemetery, the study of which has helped archaeologists to understand how Vladimirec residents lived in the era of Mikhail Romanov and Alexei Mikhailovich, the press service of the Institute of Archaeology RAS says.

Martyr Paraskeva was considered in Ancient Russia the patron of merchants, so devoted to it temples were built next to the markets. Vladimir Pyatnitsky church the first mentions of which are the chronicles in 1625, remained the wooded up to 1770, when on its place was put a stone church of Holy Virgin.

In the late 18th century, after a series of reconstructions, the temple gained almost final shape in which it lived up to the 20th century. In 1929 the church was closed, it was turned into a club, for a while the Philharmonic was placed there. But in May 1960, during the last wave of destruction of churches, the monument was demolished.

The expedition of the Institute of Archaeology of RAS under the direction of Sergei Milovanov conducted excavations at the Great Moscow street, in the part of Vladimir, where in the late Middle Ages, this was a wooden church and a cemetery.

At this ancient cemetery scientists were able to find plenty of crucifix and household items - shards overseas dishes, knives, toys, whistles, tools and other artifacts of the time of the first Romanovs and early 18th century. Their study, archaeologists hope, will help to understand how ordinary people lived in the time of formation of Muscovy.