Holy Bogolyubovo Monastery In Sunny Summer Day, Vladimir Region, Russia. Royalty-Free Stock Photography

Holy Bogolyubovo monastery, which is one of the oldest in Russia, was founded by the pious Grand Prince Andrey Bogolyubsky. After a miraculous apparition of the Holy Mother to Prince Andrey, at Her command he began construction of the white stone Church.The Prince decided to make his countryside residence exactly there. Construction of a countryside fortress was lasting from 1157 to 1165. According to the plan of Andrei Bogolyubsky, it was not large, but well fortified castle copying some of Western European examples, surrounded by powerful earthen rampart height of 6 m and up to 800 m in perimeter. Also in memory of the miraculous apparition the Prince commanded to paint the image of Our Lady as She appeared to him: in a full-length with hands uplifted in prayer to the Lord. The icon was named as God-Loving bogolyubskaya and over the centuries became famous for many miracles.