After almost a day of sailing along the Moscow Canal (welcome to read my previous post) and the Upper Volga, our ship is moored to the pier of Uglich. Uglich (Russian: Углич) is a historic town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, located on the Volga River.
It is an ancient town with more than a thousand years of history. But the most significant historical events for entire Russia took place here in the 16th century. During the reign of Ivan the Terrible, the town passed to his only brother, Yury. After the death of Ivan the Terrible in 1584, his youngest son Dmitry was banished with his mother to Uglich.
So the most well-known event took place on May 15, 1591, when the 10-year-old Tsarevich (prince) Dmitry was found dead with his throat cut in the palace courtyard. Official investigators concluded that Dimitriy’s death was an accident, but disputes and versions about the death of the young prince are still ongoing. As Dmitry was the last scion of the ancient Rurik Dynasty, his death caused the 15 years long of dynastic and political crisis known as the Time of Troubles. People believed that Dmitry was alive and supported at least three False Dmitrys, who each tried to grab the Muscovite throne.
In 1606 Dmitry was canonized and Uglich was designated as a place of pilgrimage. On the spot where Dimitry was thought to have been murdered, the Church of St. Demetrios on the Blood was built.
Its red walls and blue domes are visible as travelers go north on the Volga.
The image of Dimitry with a knife in his hand was adopted as the town’s coat of arms.
The church of the St. Demetrios is decorated with interesting frescoes. But another church in the neighborhood, the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord and the Praise of the Most Holy Theotokos, has unique 3D frescoes. It’s create a false sense of a huge space.
Usually, a visit to Uglich with a short excursion is limited to a visit to the Uglich Kremlin, but the Kremlin itself is long gone - it was made of wood and was dismantled long ago. On the territory of the Kremlin there are several churches, museums, a monument to the young tsarevich Dmitry.
The Uglich hydroelectric power station is located within the town borders.
The Central Museum of the History of Hydropower of Russia is located in one of the buildings of the Uglich Hydroelectric Power Station. The exposition is dedicated to the history of hydropower development in Russia. In 11 halls of the museum, there is an exposition about the history of the development of hydropower in the USSR and Russia, the generation and transmission of electricity, the construction and construction of hydroelectric power plants, as well as the hydro resources of the Earth. I am an electrical engineer, and I really wanted to visit this museum. Unfortunately, I had to choose - the Kremlin or the Hydropower Museum, so I didn’t visit it, but there is a reason to visit Uglich again.
Interesting fact:
The “All-Russian Research Institute of Butter and Cheese Making” located in Uglich.
What to buy in Uglich:
In Uglich you can buy smoked and dried fish and local cheeses.
Uglich is also known for its production of clocks and watches.
What to see in Uglich:
Uglich is one of the cities of the Golden Ring of Russia, is often visited by tourists. The town has preserved numerous examples of traditional Russian architecture. You can see the museums and churches, several active Orthodox monasteries, Museum of the History of Hydropower.
I hope you enjoyed my story about the places I visited during the cruise.
*Tag for @LuigiZ @MahabubMunna @helga19 @TorM ** @ErmesT @KseniaM *
. I love all your pictures, they are very nice and showing the local architecture which is very unique to see. Interesting also the story of Dimitri and the facts about the city.
