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About twenty five miles west of Moscow on
the road to Mozhaisk is the village of Vyazemi, the patrimony of Boris Godunov.
He built there his wooden country palace, where he often stayed. The palace was
destroyed during the Polish campaign against Moscow. But the stone church
(Zhivonachal'noi Troitsy) (The Life giving Trinity), also built by him,
remained unchanged until the present. It is a beautiful example of Russian
architecture of the very early 17th century, at moments reminding us of the
Cathedral of the Archangel Michael in the Kremlin. The inside of the church was
covered with frescoes, which have since been restored several times, but are
still of particular importance for students of Russian medieval art. Since the
revolution the church has been neglected and its frescoes exposed to serious
potential damage. Next to the church is a unique bell-fry unlike any other in
or around Moscow, obviously built by Pskov masters.
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