About the city and the twinning
About Suzdal
Suzdal is a historic town in Russia’s Vladimir region, on the Kamenka River, about 30 kilometres from the city of Vladimir. It was one of the principal towns of the medieval Vladimir–Suzdal principality in the 12th and 13th centuries and is now part of Russia’s Golden Ring of historic towns.
The Suzdal Kremlin, a historic fortress enclosed by earthen ramparts, contains the 13th-century Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin, known for its five domes and medieval Golden Doors. Another major landmark is the Monastery of the Saviour and St Euthymius, founded in 1352. Both are part of the White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1992.
Twinning with Bethlehem
On 8 April 2009, Bethlehem Mayor Dr Victor Batarseh and Suzdal Mayor Sergei Godunin signed an agreement of intent in Suzdal to establish a sister-city relationship. The signing took place during a visit by a Bethlehem delegation at the invitation of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society, whose Bethlehem and Vladimir branches helped bring the two municipalities together. At the ceremony, Mayor Batarseh pointed to the significance of both cities in Christian history, linking Bethlehem’s association with the Nativity of Jesus to Suzdal’s place in the history of Russian Orthodoxy.