Murom is one of the most ancient Slavonic settlements amidst the wild forest near the river Oka, the biggest tributary of the Volga. This town was founded in VI-VII centuries, in the IX century it already had big population and had great importance for old Russia. Modern Murom is one of industrial towns of Vladimir region and has the population of 145 thousand people. It is the large junction on the Moscow - Kazan - Ekaterinburg trunk-railway.

Murom is the native land of the most famous hero of Russian sagas - glorious athlete Ilia Muromets. As the legends say, Ilia was paralyzed until 30 years old and was lying on the stove, but when the time came to defend the Motherland, Ilia rose to his feet and performed a lot of heroic deeds. Ilia Muromets could fell the old oaks and fear up the young ones by the roots. Springs appeared from the kicks of his horse’s hooves, in the sky thunder arose from his riding. Once Ilia overturned a hill in the Oka river, so that it changed its course. Ilia Muromets killed the three-headed dragon and many other monsters, whose bones are found near Murom to present day.

In 1643 Ilia Muromets was officially canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church. The Saint’s remains are well-preserved and are in the Kiev-Petchersky Lavra (the monastery of the highest rank), only his feet are absent. A deep round wound can be seen on his left hand as well as the same considerable injury in the left part of the chest. It seems he sheltered his chest with the hand and it was pinned to the heart with the spear stab.