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in: Established in 932, Established in the 930s, Settlements on the Volga, Settlements in Uglich Rayon (Yaroslavl Oblast)

Uglich

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Uglich
Углич
Old name: Ugleche Pole
City
The Transfiguration Cathedral in the Uglich kremlin
The Transfiguration Cathedral in the Uglich kremlin
Flag of Uglich
Flag
Official logo of Uglich
Coat of Arms of Uglich
Country Russia
Federal subject of Russia Yaroslavl Oblast
Rayon Uglich Rayon
Urban Okrug Uglich Rayon
Established 932
First mentioned 1148
Government
 • Mayor Sergei Valeryevich Maklakov


Uglich (Russian: У́глич, pronounced [ˈuɡlʲitɕ]) is a historic town in Uglich Rayon, Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, on the Volga River.

A local tradition dates the town's origins to 937. It was first documented in 1148 as Ugliche Pole (Corner Field). The town's name is thought to allude to the nearby turn in the Volga River.

Uglich had been the seat of a small princedom from 1218 until 1328 when the local princes sold their rights to the great prince of Moscow. As a border town of Muscovy, it was burnt several times by Lithuanians, Tatars and the grand prince of Tver.

UglichProvince

The coat of arms of Uglich (1730), featuring Tsarevich Dimitri

Grand Prince Ivan III of Moscow gave the town to his younger brother Andrei Bolshoy in 1462. During Andrei's reign the town was expanded and first stone buildings were constructed. Particularly notable were the cathedral (rebuilt in 1713), the Intercession Monastery (destroyed by the Bolsheviks) and the red-brick palace of the prince (completed in 1481 and still standing).

During the reign of Ivan the Terrible the town passed to his only brother, Yuri. Local inhabitants helped the tsar to capture Kazan by building a wooden fortress which was transported by the Volga all the way to Kazan. Throughout the 16th century Uglich prospered both politically and economically, but thereafter its fortunes began to decline.

After Ivan's death, his youngest son Dmitri Ivanovich was banished to Uglich in 1584. The most famous event in the town's history took place on May 15, 1591 when the 10-year old boy was found dead with his throat cut in the palace courtyard. Suspicion immediately fell on the tsar's chief advisor, Boris Godunov. Official investigators concluded however that Dimitri's death was an accident. They cut a "tongue" from the cathedral bell that rung the news of Dimitri's death and "exiled" it to Siberia.

Uglich alekseyevsky

The Monastery of St. Alexis (1620s)

As Dimitri was the last scion of the ancient Rurik dynasty, his death precipitated the dynastic and political crisis known as the Time of Troubles. People readily believed that Dimitri was alive and supported several False Dmitris (see False Dmitri I, False Dmitri II, False Dmitri III) who tried to grab the Muscovite throne. During the Time of Troubles, the Poles besieged the St. Alexis and Uleima monasteries and burned them down killing all the populace who had sought refuge inside.

The Romanov tsars made it their priority to canonize the martyred tsarevich and to turn Uglich into a place of pilgrimage. On the spot where Dimitri had been murdered the city in 1690 built the small but lovely Church of St Demetrios on the Blood, which appears on the horizon with its red walls and blue domes as one sails north on the Volga. The palace where the prince lived was turned into a museum. The image of tsarevich with a knife in his hand was adopted as the town's emblem.

In the first third of the 18th century the kremlin cathedral and its remarkable bell-tower were demolished and rebuilt. Other 18th-century landmarks include the Smolensk, Korsunsk, Kazan and Bogoyavlenskaya churches. The most important edifice of the 19th century is the ponderous cathedral of the Theophany Convent, consecrated in 1853.

Kazan Church in Uglich

Church of the Theotokos of Kazan (1777)

The modern town did have a famous watch manufacturing plant now closed (see Chayka watches), a railway station, and a hydroelectric power station. In November 2008 was opened a new Nexans cable mill. The decision to create the Uglich Reservoir led to severe flooding of the town's outskirts.

Apart from the kremlin, the city centre features other nice samples of old Russian architecture. Particularly notable are the St. Alexis and Resurrection monasteries.

The Assumption three-tented church (1628) of the St. Alexis monastery is considered a true gem of Russian medieval architecture. "Marvelous" is an epithet that common people gave to their church and which became a part of its official name. Located nearby is the more conventional Church of St. John the Baptist (1681).

Closer to the bank of the Volga one may see the Resurrection Monastery with its huge cathedral, refectory, belfry and summer church. All these buildings stand in a row and date back to 1674-77. Opposite the monastery is the graceful Church of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. It was built in 1689-90 by a local merchant to commemorate the spot where his son had drowned.

More old architecture may be seen in the vicinity of Uglich, including the 17th-century Uleima Monastery and a fine church in Divnogorie.

References[]

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This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Uglich. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.

Organizations, places, or other things established in the year 932. See also: Disestablished in 932 (if any).

Category:Established in the 930s: ← 931-932-933-934-935-936-937-938-939-940
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