Vladimir Putin visits remains of medieval Russian warrior prince uncovered in Kremlin cathedral

Donskoy, who died in 1389 aged 39, ruled the principalities of Muscovy and Vladimir, which would later become the core of the Russian state.

Russian President Vladimir Putin inspected on Thursday the open sarcophagus of medieval Russian warrior prince Dmitry Donskoy, whose remains were recently uncovered during restoration work at Moscow's Cathedral of the Archangel.

Lying within the Kremlin fortress, the Orthodox cathedral served as the burial site for more than 40 Russian tsars and princes down the centuries.

The body of Russian Grand Prince Donskoy was known to lie there, but its discovery last month in a crypt by the southern wall surprised historians, who had believed it was located elsewhere in the building.

The lid of Donskoy's sarcophagus was found split into four parts, the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences said in a Friday statement. After removing it, archaeologists found Donskoy's remains dusted with white stone chips and bits of mortar that had fallen through the cracks. 

Donskoy's remains were clothed in ornate burial attire, according to the statement, with a well-preserved outer layer made of a dense fabric woven in a complex geometric pattern, and a less-well preserved inner layer, including a braided chord, fragments of the sleeve, collar, and a shoe.

"We conducted the research using a specialized method, without a full archaeological protocol," said Nikolai Makarov, Russian Academy of Sciences vice president and Institute of Archaeology director, according to Russian state-owned news outlet RIA Novosti. "Nothing was removed."

"Textile remains and several fragments of remains were collected for subsequent laboratory analysis, but the objective was to avoid damaging anything and preserve the prince's remains as they were found."

Putin lights candle for Donskoy

Putin lit a candle inside the frescoed cathedral and stood beside the white-stone sarcophagus as experts explained how they had identified the remains as those of the 14th-century prince, RIA reported.

The Russian Orthodox Church announced the discovery on Tuesday, saying the well-preserved remains were nearly complete and belonged to a man of just under 180 cm (5 feet 11 inches), who had died of natural causes between the ages of 35 and 45.

"All these characteristics correspond with written sources and historical testimony concerning the life and death of the grand prince," it said.

Overseer of first Kremlin's construction

Donskoy, who died in 1389 aged 39, ruled the principalities of Muscovy and Vladimir, which would later become the core of the Russian state.

A prominent figure in Russian history, Donskoy oversaw the construction of the first stone Kremlin fortress, increased the territory of Muscovy, and routed forces of the Mongol horde in a famous battle near the Don river in 1380.