855 years ago, on October 14, 1165, the construction of the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl was completed.

The Church of the Intercession on the Nerl is considered the pinnacle of the craftsmanship of Vladimir architects during the heyday of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality. This elegant structure is located on a small hill in a meadow at the confluence of the Nerl and Klyazma rivers. During the spring flood, the water would approach the walls of the church, and then it, dazzlingly white and light, would rise above the flooded meadows like a candle, demonstrating its clarity and beauty.

The site for the church was chosen just over a kilometer from the princely palace, at the point where the Nerl flows into the Klyazma (later the mouth shifted south, leaving the old channel). The mouth of the Nerl was at the intersection of important trade routes and served as a gateway to the Vladimir land: here ships would turn towards the princely residence, opening a view of Bogolyubovo with its palace and of Vladimir. The church was meant to be an important element of the representative ensemble, its monumental foregate.

The chronicles contain little information about the Church of the Intercession. The Short Vladimir Chronicle mentions: "and then came from Kiev Andrei Yurievich and created the Bogolyubny city… and erected two stone churches." The Novgorod First Chronicle states: "And he erected a temple on the Klyazma river, two stone churches in the name of the Holy Mother of God." Probably, one of these churches is the Intercession Church. "The Life of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky," a source from 1702, provides more detailed information. The text indicates that the temple was built in one season in memory of Iziaslav Andreevich, the prince's son, who died from wounds after a campaign in Volga Bulgaria.

In Russian architecture, rich in masterpieces, it is hard to find a more lyrical monument than the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl. This harmonious white stone temple, naturally fitting into the surrounding landscape, is called a poem captured in stone.