The Uglich Kremlin is located on an abrupt bank of the Volga River. It was built under Andrey Bolshoy reign in 1480-1490. During the Polish invasion, most of the Kremlin’s buildings were destroyed.
The Kremlin ensemble consists of several buildings. The Princely Chamber miraculously survived after the invasion and at present time is the oldest Kremlin’s structure and a monument of civil architecture of the XV century. The chambers are also known as a palace of Prince Dmitry, Ivan the Terrible’s son. In the past, the chamber was a part of the ensemble of prince’s residence. Today, its lower floor houses permanent exhibitions dedicated to different periods of Uglich history.
The most majestic part of the Kremlin is the five-domed Transfiguration Cathedral built in 1713. It boasts a carved golden iconostasis of the XIX century and walls decorated with frescoes.
There is a 30-meter bell tower next to the Transfiguration Cathedral. Constructed in 1730, for a long time it remained the highest construction of Uglich.
The place of death of Prince Dmitry in 1591 was marked by a wooden chapel, but in 1692, the stone church replaced the modest wooden temple. Today it is known as the Church of St. Dmitry on the Blood and painted in red to remind people of the blood spilled in this place. On May 15, 1591, eight-year-old Prince Dmitry was found dead. There are two main versions of what have happened. One of them says that the prince playing with a knife suffered from an epileptic seizure and self-inflicted a mortal wound to the throat, while according to the other version, the prince was killed by the order of Boris Godunov, the pretender to the throne.
The Dmitry’s death led to a civil disorder in the city. The bell which announced the Prince’s death was publicly flogged as it was a human being and sent into exile to Siberia (Tobolsk town), where it spent three hundred years. In 1892, the bell finally returned to Uglich. Today, the church and its ground floor are turned into a museum that keeps the “exiled bell” and some historical documents connected with the death of Prince Dmitry. Murals of the western wall of the church chronologically depict the story of the Dmitry’s death.
The Uglich Kremlin ensemble also comprises the Building of the former city council (1815) and Epiphany winter Cathedral (1827).
Opening hours:
May 1 to October 31: daily from 09.00 to 18.00
November 1 to April 30: daily from 09.00 to 18.00 except Monday and Tuesday
Check out the full list of the most interesting tours in Russian cities.
