Zalesye (literally: "over the woods") or Opolye (literally: "in the fields") is a historical region of Russia, comprising the north and west parts of Vladimir Oblast, the north-east of Moscow Oblast and the south of Yaroslavl Oblast. As a kernel of the medieval state of Vladimir-Suzdal, this area played a vital part in the development of Russian statehood. Categories: Stub | Oblasts of Russia ... Moscow oblast (Моско́вская о́бласть) is an administrative subdivision of Russia officially established on January 14, 1929. ... Yaroslavl Oblast (Яросла́вская о́бласть) is located in the Central Federal District of Russia, surrounded by the Tver, Moscow, Ivanovo, Vladimir, Kostroma, and Vologda Oblasts. ... Vladimir-Suzdal Principality, Vladimir-Suzdal Rus (Владимирско-Суздальская Русь), or Vladimir-Suzdal Grand Duchy (Влади́миро-Су́здальское кня́жество) was one of major principalities within the Kievan Rus and after its collapse. ...

Old Russian town in wintertime

The name alludes to the deep woods that used to separate the medieval Principality of Rostov from the Republic of Novgorod and the Dnieper principalities. Before the coming of Slavs in the 9th century, the area was inhabited by Merians, Muroma, and other Finnic tribes. As the time went by, the Slavs and Finns mixed ethnically and culturally, thus giving birth to the modern Russian nation. Rostov (Russian: Росто́в; Old Norse: Rostofa) is one of the oldest towns in Russia and an important tourist centre of the so called Golden ring. ... The Novgorod Republic was an early republic that existed in the North-West territory of modern day Russia, in Novgorod lands between 1136 and 1478. ... This article is about the river. ... The Slavic peoples are the most numerous ethnic and linguistic body of peoples in Europe. ... The Meryas were a probably Finno-Ugric tribe which lived in the region of Moscow, Rostov, Kostroma, Jaroslavl and Vladimir. ... Finnic (Fennic, sometimes Baltic Finnic) may refer to Finnish-similar languages spoken close to the Gulf of Finland, i. ... Russians (Russian: Русские - Russkiye) are an East Slavic ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries. ...

In the 12th century, this fertile area, being well protected from Turkic incursions by the forests, provided a favourable oasis for Slavic people migrating from the southern borders of Kievan Rus. The population of the area rapidly increased and by 1124 reached the point when George the Long-Armed found it expedient to move his princely seat from Rostov in the Upper Volga region to Suzdal in Zalesye. (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... Oasis in the Libyan part of the Sahara In geography, an oasis is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source. ... Kievan Rus′ (Ки́евская Ру́сь, Kievskaya Rus in Russian; Київська Русь, Kyivs’ka Rus’ in Ukrainian) was the early, mostly East Slavic¹ state dominated by the city of Kiev (ru: Ки́ев, Kiev; uk: Ки́їв, Kyiv), from about 880 to the middle of the 12th century. ... Events March 26 - Henry I of Englands forces defeat Norman rebels at Bourgtheroulde. ... Rostov (Russian: Росто́в; Old Norse: Rostofa) is one of the oldest towns in Russia and an important tourist centre of the so called Golden ring. ... St. ...

Suzdal was the oldest and most senior town of Opolye. Other important urban centres were established by George in Pereslavl-Zalessky (founded 1152), Yuriev-Polsky (1152), Dmitrov (1154), Starodub-on-the-Klyazma (1152), Vladimir-Zalessky (1108), Ksnyatin (1136), and Yaropolch-Zalessky (1136). The monickers Zalessky ("over the woods") and Polsky ("in the fields") were used to distinguish new cities from the eponymous towns in the modern-day Ukraine. Pereslavl-Zalessky (Пересла́вль-Зале́сский) is a town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, on the shore of Lake Pleshcheyevo. ... Yuriev-Polsky (Yuriev Polskoy) (Юрьев-Польский or Юрьев Польской in Russian) is a town in the Vladimir Oblast in Russia, located in the upper reaches of the Koloksha River, 68 km northwest of Vladimir. ... Dmitrov (Дмитров in Russian) is a city in Moscow Oblast of Russia, 65 km to the north of Moscow. ... Sknyatino is a former village in the Tver Oblast of Russia, situated at the confluence of the Nerl River and the Volga, about halfway between Uglich and Tver. ...

Being perpetually at odds with the powerful Suzdalian boyardom, George contemplated moving his capital from Suzdal to the new town of Pereslavl-Zalessky. His unexpected death led to the idea being dropped, but George's son Andrew the Pious finally moved the princely seat to another young town, Vladimir. The old nobility of Rostov and Suzdal, however, arranged Andrew's assassination and a brief civil war for supremacy in Zalesye followed. A boyar (also spelt bojar; Romanian: boier) was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Russian and Romanian aristocracy, second only to the ruling princes, from the 10th through the 17th century. ... Pereslavl-Zalessky (Пересла́вль-Зале́сский) is a town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, on the shore of Lake Pleshcheyevo. ... Andrei Bogolyubsky (Андрей Боголюбский) (ca. ...

During the Mongol invasion of Russia, when the woods were gradually being cleared and the new centres developed in Moscow, Tver, and elsewhere, the strategic importance of Zalesye declined. New urban centres were developed around famous monasteries (e.g., Sergiev Posad, Kirzhach) or royal residences (e.g., Alexandrov, Radonezh). The Mongol Invasion of Russia was an invasion of the medieval state of Kievan Rus by a large army of nomadic Mongols, starting in 1223. ... Moscow (Russian: Москва́, Moskva, IPA: â–¶) is the capital of Russia, located on the river Moskva. ... Tvers coat of arms depicts grand ducal crown placed on a throne. ... Sergiyev Posad (Се́ргиев Поса́д) — a town in Moscow Oblast, Russia. ... Kirzhach is a Russian town of 22,700 inhabitants. ... Alexandrov (Алекса́ндров) is a town in Vladimir Oblast, Russia. ... Holy vision to youth Bartholomew near Radonezh, by Mikhail Nesterov. ...

Sometimes, the term Zalesye is taken to include the whole Upper Volga and Lower Klyazma region. In this sense, Zalesye is equipollent with the territory inscribed within the Golden Ring of Russia. Klyazma (Кля́зьма) is a river in Russia which is the left tributary of Oka. ... The Golden Ring (Russian: ) is a ring of cities northeast of Moscow, the capital of the Russian Federation. ...