Archive · 20 Aug 2026
Putin Visits Newly Unearthed Remains of Medieval Russian Prince
Vladimir Putin visited a church in Moscow to see the remains of Dmitry Donskoy.
Donskoy was a prince who lived in the 14th century.
Workers found his remains during restoration work.
Historians had known his body was in the church, but they thought it was in another place.
Experts examined the nearly complete remains and matched them with historical records.
The man was just under 180 centimeters tall and died naturally between ages 35 and 45.
Donskoy died in 1389 when he was 39 years old.
He helped expand Muscovy and defeated Mongol forces in a famous battle.
The cathedral is also the burial place of more than 40 Russian tsars and princes.
President Vladimir Putin inspected the open sarcophagus of Dmitry Donskoy at Moscow’s Cathedral of the Archangel.
Experts identified the recently uncovered remains as those of the 14th-century grand prince.
The Russian Orthodox Church said the remains were nearly complete and belonged to a man under 180 centimeters tall.
Donskoy died in 1389 at age 39 after ruling Muscovy and Vladimir.
He oversaw construction of the first stone Kremlin fortress and defeated Mongol forces near the Don River in 1380.
- Who
- Russian President Vladimir Putin, experts, the Russian Orthodox Church, and the remains of Grand Prince Dmitry Donskoy.
- What
- Putin inspected Donskoy’s open sarcophagus after his remains were recently uncovered and identified.
- When
- Thursday, Aug. 20; the remains were discovered during restoration work the previous month.
- Where
- The Cathedral of the Archangel inside the Moscow Kremlin fortress.
- Why
- Putin visited to observe the discovery and the identification of the historically important prince’s remains.
- Historical figure
- Dmitry Donskoy, a 14th-century grand prince who died in 1389 at age 39.
- Discovery location
- A crypt by the southern wall of Moscow’s Cathedral of the Archangel.
- Identification
- Experts matched the nearly complete remains with written sources and historical testimony.
- Estimated height
- Just under 180 centimeters, or about 5 feet 11 inches.
- Estimated cause and age at death
- Natural causes between the ages of 35 and 45.
- Historic battle
- Donskoy routed Mongol forces near the Don River in 1380.
- Cathedral role
- The cathedral served as the burial site of more than 40 Russian tsars and princes.