40 years after the construction, Vladimir was overwhelmed by one of the most destructive events of Russian history, the Mongol invasion. In 1238, the city was captured and totally sacked. The grand prince Yury, Vsevolod’s son, was killed a few days later in a final battle with the Mongol armies. As a result of the invasion, the cathedral was heavily damaged. Besides, the temple was damaged by fire several times in the 16th and 18th centuries. Ultimately, because of the unsuccessful restoration in 1837-1839, the cathedral was stripped of its most interesting features, the staircase towers and galleries. The re-restoration of 1952 by Alexander Stoletov saved the cathedral from complete destruction and it finally regained its original appearance.
On the walls of the cathedral you can see the bas-reliefs depicting either King Solomon or David (still is not known exactly) surrounded by the symbolic images of flora and fauna as well as the characters from the Bible and Classical mythology. In total, there are 566 bas-reliefs and 1,500 carved stones.
However, after such a graceful and lavish external decoration, the cathedral’s interior is a bit disappointing. Unlike all the other cathedrals of Vladimir, the Cathedral of St Dmitry inside is modestly decorated. The few frescoes that survived the fires, were subsequently destroyed by the restorers in 1837, and now the temple greets visitors with almost sterile whiteness.
The Cathedral of St Dmitry is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage monument.