In 1408, the great Russian icon painter Andrei Rublev adorned the interior of the cathedral with beautiful frescoes, some of which have survived to the present day.
For a long time the temple was the main church of Vladimir principality and was best suited for majestic crowning ceremonies of the princes as both the exterior and interior were richly decorated in gold.
Italian architector Aristotel Fioravanty inspired by the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir and used its image as a prototype for the cathedral with the same name in Moscow Kremlin.
Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir is also known for its icon of Vladimir Mother of God. The icon was donated to Yuri Dolgoruky by the Patriarch of Constantinople. The son of Yuri Dolgoruky, Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky brought it to Vladimir’s Cathedral. In 1408, the icon was moved to Moscow; now it is kept in the Tretyakov Gallery.
The cathedral serves as a burial place for Vladimir’s princes including Prince Alexander Bogolyubsky, his son Gleb, Prince Georgy Vsevolodovich and local bishops.
In 1927, the Communists closed the Cathedral for religious services. However, in 1944, the services were resumed as part of Stalin’s effort to enlist the Orthodox Church’s support for the war against the Nazis.