The Church of the Protection on the Nerl River celebrates it 850th anniversary!

The world-famous white-stone Church of the Protection of Most Holy Mother of God on the Nerl River marks its 850th anniversary this year, 2015. According to the Life of its builder, Holy Right-believing Prince Andrei Bogoliubsky, the church was erected in 1165 in honor of the prince's son, who had died. Notably, the feast of the Protection of the Mother of God was established in the Russian Church service rubrics and practice through the efforts of Prince Andrei.

Pravoslavie.ru and OrthoChristian.com present a gallery of some of the best photographs of this traditional Russian symbol, which is also on the list of UNESCO sites.

Panoramic view of Church of the Protection of the Mother of God and the surrounding area