One of the points of the Golden Ring of Russia is the city of Uglich. It is an obligatory stop for cruise ships traveling along the Volga. Thousands of tourists visit Uglich every year, and many of them come from abroad. The ancient city once played a large role in the history of Russia. For example, in it the branch of the royal family of the Rurikovich was suppressed, which gave rise to a long strip of Troubles. But even without this, Uglich would be worth a visit. This city has preserved many ancient monasteries, which are wonderful examples of Russian architecture. But the main local attraction is the Uglich Kremlin. Photos of this fortification, towering on the right bank of the Volga, serve as the hallmark of the city. In this article, we will take a virtual journey back centuries: we will visit the prince’s chambers and the Church of Dmitry on Blood, see the “exiled” bell, and feel the significance of this place for Russian history.
How to get there
Tourists will not be difficult to find the Uglich Kremlin. The address of this fortress-museum is “not a house and not a street”. The city is located in the Yaroslavl region (Russian Federation), and the Kremlin is in the historical center of Uglich. The object's zip code is 152615. You can get to the city either by train or by bus. From Moscow (from the metro station "Botanical Garden") ride minibuses to Rybinsk. They pass Uglich. Flights from the capital bus station in Shchelkovo to the city of the Golden Ring depart three times a day. And finally, the train. This is the most convenient form of public transport, especially if you plan an independent weekend tour. The Moscow-Uglich train leaves on Friday evening from Savelovsky Station. If you prefer to travel by your own car, then the journey to the Kremlin will take about four hours. First you need to taxi to the Yaroslavl highway and go along the M8 to the settlement of Sergiev Posad, then turn onto P104. You can choose another route: along the A104 (Dmitrovskoye Shosse) to the turn in Taldom, and then follow the signs for Kalyazin.
Where to settle
If you want to see the Uglich Kremlin in detail, we recommend choosing the Uspenskaya hotel. This hotel is located just opposite the historical and architectural complex. The museum is open from nine in the morning until six in the evening. In the warm period (May-October), it operates without days off and lunch break. From November to April, the museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Uglich Kremlin: history
The traces of the first settlement date back to the tenth century. It was then that Jan Pleskovich, the specific prince, asked Olga for permission to build a citadel on the right high bank of the Volga, surrounded by a system of fortifications. Inside were streets and houses, churches and squares. All this was surrounded by wooden walls with eleven towers. It was built between the Uglich Kremlin tributary of the Volga: Stone creek and river Shelkovka. In addition, a moat connecting these two water arteries was dug. So the Kremlin towered like an island connected to the outside world by bridges. The walls and structures inside the fortress were wooden. Now the inaccessibility of the Kremlin is evidenced only by a dry moat. In the fifteenth century, the specific prince Andrei Goryai started a large construction in his patrimony. In particular, he ordered the construction of stone chambers and other structures inside for his family. But the Polish intervention destroyed the buildings. Only a smaller part of the princely chambers, which are a rare example of medieval Russian architecture, have survived.
Uglich and the young prince
With the consolidation of monocracy and the annexation of the Uglich principality by Moscow, the palace of the former rulers began to be used as the residence of the tsar's governors. But in 1584, he served as the place for the exile of Ivan the Terrible’s last wife, Maria Nagoy. The royal couple was not married, since the monarch had already had several marriages. Therefore, the right to the throne of Mary's young son, Dmitry, could be called into question at any time. Ivan the Terrible died when the prince was only two years old. The eldest son of John IV, Fyodor I, entered the throne. And the new king sent his widowed stepmother and stepbrother to the Uglich Kremlin. And I charged them to follow the devoted clerk Mikhail Bityagovsky. In May 1591, an eight-year-old prince was found with his throat cut. Since Fedor had no male offspring, the Rurik dynasty died out. The time of Troubles and a series of False Dmitriyev began.
Exiled bell
The fact that in Moscow they want to solve the juvenile tsarevich was long whispered in Uglich. The circumstances of the death of the child were very vague. Some said that Tsarevich Dmitry was playing knife throwing with his peers, when he had an attack of “epilepsy”, as a result of which he pierced his throat himself. But the tsarina and her brother defended the version of the murder and called the culprit - the son of the clerk, Danila Bityagovsky. As a result, a furious crowd tore these two Muscovites. A few days later, the commission of inquiry arrived from the capital (it included Vasily Shuisky, who later became king). She admitted that the death of a minor prince occurred as a result of an accident. And for the turmoil the townspeople answered in full. More than two hundred people were executed. The Uglich Kremlin, or rather, the bell tower, also suffered. With her, "Fedot Cucumber, the widow's pop" hit the alarm, announcing the death of Dmitry and thereby calling for reprisals against his killers. And therefore, the "ear" was cut off from the ill-fated bell, the "tongue" was pulled out and sent to exile in Tobolsk. He returned from a kind of exile only in 1892.
Church of Demetrius-on-Blood
A small wooden chapel was soon erected at the site of the death of the young prince. In 1630, a church was built in its place. She was also made of wood. In 1690, it was replaced by a stone building, which we can observe now. The Church of Dmitry on Blood is an elegant example of Russian architecture. It consists of a temple, a refectory, a porch and a bell tower. And the building of red brick is crowned with five azure heads.
The Uglich Kremlin with the Church of Dmitriy on Blood make up a single ensemble. The red and white facade of the temple is in perfect harmony with half columns, platbands and cornices. Inside the church you should pay attention to the murals of the seventeenth century. They are not entirely canonical. They depict the death of Tsarevich Dmitry, as well as the massacre of his killers. The refectory murals are more typical. There you can see paintings on biblical subjects. On a low tower at the Church of Dmitry on Blood, the same "exiled" bell hangs.
Uglich Kremlin: princely chambers
This is a unique monument of early medieval civil engineering. As we already mentioned, the palace was built in the fifteenth century by the brother of Ivan III, Prince Uglich, Andrei Goryay (Big). The main part of the chambers was destroyed by the Poles. Archaeologists found only the foundations of the walls, covered with a large layer of soot and ash. Only the smallest part of the palace, built of large red brick, survived from the fire. This is a three-story building with a front porch with ornate decorations. It leads into the hall. There are two rooms in the basement of the building, and three on the second floor. At the highest level there is a spacious hall with a vaulted ceiling, decorated with paintings. After the tragic death of Tsarevich Dmitry, no one lived in the wards. They were dilapidated, and they even thought to take them apart. But still in 1892 they were restored. Then it was decided to create the Uglich Kremlin Museum. The elegant porch of princely chambers is unauthentic. It was built at the end of the nineteenth century by the architect N. Sultanov.
Transfiguration Cathedral and Epiphany Cathedral
There are other sacred buildings in the Uglich Kremlin. Transfiguration Cathedral is a vivid example of the Yaroslavl architectural school of the seventeenth century. This five-domed temple is visible from almost all points of the city. Especially beautiful is the southern facade, decorated with floral ornaments. However, the portico in the spirit of classicism, built in the nineteenth century, does not fit somewhat into the general ensemble. In the interior, wall painting made by the serf Golitsyn, a certain T. Medvedev, is appreciated. Near the Spaso-Preobrazhensky tower stands the Epiphany Cathedral of the Uglich Kremlin. It was conceived as a temple for winter services. The construction of this cathedral was carried out from 1814 to 1827. The temple is completely made in the style of classicism. The building has huge windows, its facade is cut by pilasters, and the entire gable roof is crowned. The apse in the form of a semicircle and a small porch with a portico adjoins the temple.
Museum of Antiquities
The Uglich Kremlin, whose photos are often the best advertisement for traveling along the Golden Ring, is also known for its ancient museum. The first exhibition opened in 1892 with the participation of the emperor’s brother, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich and his wife. At first, the exposition occupied only one room on the second floor of the princely chambers. Gradually the collection grew. Now the museum is also occupied by the Church of Dmitry on Blood. This section contains exhibits related to the death and canonization of innocent Dmitry. On the third floor of the princely chambers you can see Uglich antiquities: silver jewelry, wooden crafts, fragments of sewing.