What to see in Russia

Uglich

Visiting Uglich is almost mandatory if you choose to come to Russia and take a cruise on the Volga. Since 2018 this city has belonged to the famous Russian Golden Ring, and its architecture is simply spectacular. Enjoy its churches and museums, which are its two main attractions besides the craft markets.

Travelling to Uglich: a destination for lovers of religious tourism

The Uglich Kremlin

In most of the cities belonging to the Golden Ring, namely Sergiyev Posad, Pereslavl-Zalesskiy, Rostov, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Ivanovo, Suzdal and Vladimir, as well as Uglich itself, you will find a Kremlin. This word refers to Russian citadels, which encompass a large number of historic buildings.

The Kremlin is a good place to appreciate classic Russian architecture. In the case of Uglich in particular, the Kremlin reveals the city's past as a principality.

Indeed, one of the most important buildings in the Uglich Kremlin is the Prince's Palace. The bell tower of the Spaso-Preobrazhenski Cathedral is also of great interest.

St. Demetrius Church

Russian Orthodox Christians make pilgrimages to St. Demetrius Church, one of the places you mustn't exclude from your itinerary if you decide to travel to Uglich.

Also known as Prince Dmitri's Church, it stands on the spot where the son of the famous Ivan in Terrible is said to have died. In fact, there is no evidence indicating how this eight-year-old boy died, although the most widely-accepted version links it to power struggles.

This church is easy to identify by its red walls, to evoke the blood of the murdered prince. The bulbous domes are topped by gold stars and are truly striking. But its charm doesn't end there. The interior is decorated with brightly coloured frescoes dedicated to the life of the martyred child.

This is probably the first building in Uglich that you will see, as it is on the banks of the Volga River.

Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Saviour

Traveling to Uglich also entails visiting the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Saviour, a building that incorporates different architectural styles. The exterior displays traditional Russian architecture, just like the Church of Saint Demetrius, but on the inside the temple is more like a Renaissance Italian building.

Alexeyevsky monastery

The Alexeyevsky is one of the oldest monasteries in Russia. It was founded in the 14th century, although it was almost completely destroyed three centuries later.

The monastery grounds contain the remarkable Uspenskaia Church, so beautiful that it has earned the nickname of The Divine.

Travel to Uglich and marvel at the most curious museums

A visit to Uglich means you can see really impressive buildings, but this doesn't mean that the trip need be a solemn affair. There are three museums in this city that will cheer you up and provide you with a lot of stories to tell on your return.

Museum of the Legends of Uglich

If you like folklore and you like listening to traditional tales, this is your museum.

And don't let the name fool you. It is not just a museum of Russian legends, but has a lot of information about the true history of the area. The curious facts you will learn here include:

The appearance of the first telephone in the city. The origin of the well-known saying "roll the sausage along Spasskaia Street". How people chose samovars in the 19th century.

The building that houses the museum is also of great beauty. Don't miss the Museum of Legends if you travel to Uglich.

The Russian Vodka Museum

Uglich is the city that saw the birth of Piotr Smirnov, the supreme king of vodka. It's thus hardly suprising that the Vodka Museum is here. Your visit will reveal that there are more than 1,000 types of vodka, some of them more than a century old.

The museum displays old machinery used in the production of the quintessential Russian drink and an extensive collection of bottles and labels.

The Hydroelectric Museum

If you've decided to visit Uglich with children, the Vodka Museum may not be ideal, but you can always go to the Hydroelectric Museum instead, which has been won an award as one of the country's finest regional museums. It is a very interactive museum and perfect for families.

Now that concern for the environment is a hot topic, learning how the hydropower industry, one of the greenest sources of energy around, was created and developed is a good way to spend part of your holiday.