Uglich Russia
Russia
Frequently Asked Questions
At the very foot of the kremlin, on a bend of the Volga. A few minutes on foot takes you inside the walls: it is one of the shortest gangway-to-monument walks of any river call in central Russia.
A gauntlet of stalls: embroidered linen cloths, local watches, samovars and small painted icons. The vendors greet you with a few words of English learned for the occasion, and bargaining stays good-natured.
St Dmitry on the Blood, built in 1692 on the exact spot where Tsarevich Dmitry died. Its blood-red walls and blue domes scattered with gold stars are visible from the water long before arrival.
Tsarevich Dmitry, the youngest son of Ivan the Terrible, died here under circumstances never explained. His death plunged Russia into the Time of Troubles. The whole kremlin visit turns around that event.
A bell that rang the alarm on the day the tsarevich died in 1591. It was flogged, stripped of its clapper and exiled to Siberia, returning to its place only centuries later. Local guides tell the story with touching seriousness.
The kremlin is enough: St Dmitry on the Blood, the Transfiguration Cathedral and the Princes' Chambers, all grouped on the same green esplanade by the water. With time left, walk on to the Resurrection Monastery behind the walls.
Often. A small male choir offers passengers a few a cappella pieces under the vaults; the deep voices roll and then fade slowly. Many travellers name this the strongest moment of their river journey.
Rarely more than a few hours, and that is enough. Everything essential sits in a tiny perimeter; the remaining time passes pleasantly in the quiet streets behind the kremlin, among wooden houses and vegetable gardens.
Embroidered linen above all: tablecloths, napkins and shirts are what the stalls are known for. Local watches and painted boxes follow. Bring roubles in cash: foreign cards have not worked in Russia since 2022.
Quite good. Distances are short, the esplanade is open, and the story of the punished bell holds children better than many museums. Passing the 1930s lock and dam just before or after the call also keeps them busy on deck.
