Damaged sarcophagus slab provided access to Dmitry Donskoy’s relics

Discovery during restoration

Restoration work in the Cathedral of the Archangel in the Moscow Kremlin has uncovered the remains of Grand Prince Dmitry Donskoy, a 14th-century Russian ruler. A damaged slab of his sarcophagus granted access to the relics, according to a source in the Russian Orthodox Church who spoke to TASS. The lid was found to have two transverse cracks, and the middle section was at risk of collapsing inside the sarcophagus, which could have damaged or destroyed the holy relics, the source said.

The discovery came as a surprise to historians, as reported by the Jerusalem Post. Although Donskoy’s body was known to lie in the cathedral, it was found in a crypt by the southern wall, not where experts had believed it was located. The lid was found split into four parts, according to a statement by the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the remains were dusted with white stone chips and bits of mortar that had fallen through the cracks.

Putin’s visit and the state of the remains

Russian President Vladimir Putin inspected the open sarcophagus on Thursday, August 20, 2026, at the Archangel Cathedral, the Jerusalem Post reported. He lit a candle inside the cathedral and stood beside the white-stone sarcophagus as experts explained how they had identified the remains as those of the prince.

The remains were clothed in ornate burial attire, according to the Institute of Archaeology’s statement. The outer layer was a well-preserved dense fabric woven in a complex geometric pattern, while the inner layer—including a braided chord, sleeve fragments, a collar, and a shoe—was less well preserved.

Nikolai Makarov, vice president of the Russian Academy of Sciences and director of the Institute of Archaeology, said the research was conducted using a specialized method without a full archaeological protocol. He emphasized that nothing was removed, though textile remains and several bone fragments were collected for laboratory analysis. The objective, he said, was to avoid damaging anything and to preserve the prince’s remains as they were found.

Church’s announcement and historical context

The Russian Orthodox Church announced the discovery on Tuesday, the Jerusalem Post reported. The church said the well-preserved remains were nearly complete and belonged to a man just under 180 cm (5 feet 11 inches) who had died of natural causes between the ages of 35 and 45. The church added that the characteristics of the remains correspond with written sources about the grand prince’s life and death.

Museum curators received the blessing of Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill to carry out emergency stabilization and restoration works, according to the TASS source.

Dmitry Donskoy died in 1389 at age 39. He ruled the principalities of Muscovy and Vladimir, which later became the core of the Russian state. He oversaw the construction of the first stone Kremlin fortress, increased the territory of Muscovy, and defeated the Mongol horde in a famous battle near the Don River in 1380. The Cathedral of the Archangel served as the burial site for more than 40 Russian tsars and princes over the centuries.