The modern architecture of Vladimir's railway station contrasts with the antiquity of the city. The station and old buildings have a visible connection. The building is finished in chalkstone cladding. Local chalkstone is a sort of brand of Vladimir ancient architecture.
Of course, the building that we see is by no means ancient. Vladimir is over 1000 years old, and the railway appeared here only a century and a half ago - in the summer of 1861. On the opening day, an unpleasant incident happened. The first train ran off the track and was wrecked. The builders had been in such a hurry that the route turned out out to be unready for operation. However, just a year later trains from Moscow were running Nizhny Novgorod through Vladimir.
The old station building, despite its architectural value, was demolished in the 1970s. At that time first electric trains started running from Vladimir to Moscow. In 1975 the current station building was opened.
Don't rush to leave the station square. On the site of the old station we now see a locomotive-monument L-0801 standing in all its glory. Such workhorses worked on the Gorky Railway until it was electrified in the 1970s. In 2002, a covered car for narrow-gauge track was installed next to the L-0801 locomotive. This small memorial is a reminder of important and hard work of the railroad men.
Even the alley in the station square is not just a mere alley. It was laid ou in 2011 and is dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the Trans-Siberian Railway. You may know that the longest railway line in the world passes through Vladimir - the famous Trans-Sib, or rather its Nizhny Novgorod routing.
From the station square let's walk up along a small street - to the Municipal Descent. Passing the snow-white walls of the Nativity Monastery, we will go to Bolshaya Moskovskaya Street, the main thoroughfare of Vladimir.
We'll make our next stop near the ancient monastery.
