In the northeastern part of the Kremlin is one of the oldest cathedrals and temples of Uglich, which appeared at the place of the death of the tsar's son. The Uglich church was built as a monument to one mysterious event in the history of our country, so from the very beginning it was free of parishes.
The mystery of death
The Orthodox Church did not recognize the last marriages of Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible, therefore the sixth wife of the Tsar, Maria Feodorovna Nagaya, was not considered his legal wife. Little Demetrius had the status of the illegitimate son of the sovereign and could not officially be called a prince. The unrecognized heir to the throne was sent to Uglich after the death of his father, accompanied by his mother, her numerous relatives and several hundred servants.
The Church of Tsarevich Demetrius on the Blood from a bird's eye view
The youngest son of the king suffered from epilepsy or, as they called it, "epilepsy." They looked after him carefully and tried to protect him from all misfortunes. However, on May 15, 1951, the child's lifeless body was found in the courtyard of the house where he lived. Three days later, the prince was buried in the palace church in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord.
Why Demetrius died is still not clear. According to one version, the eight-year-old boy decided to play with knives. When he threw the knife into a circle outlined on the ground, an epileptic seizure occurred, and the child fell to the blade. However, no one saw this.
View of the Church of Tsarevich Demetrius on the Blood from the opposite side of the Volga
The people did not believe in the accident. Residents of Uglich were amazed at what had happened, they staged a riot and lynching. The official investigation accused Dimitri's mother's siblings - Nagikh and the servants. More than 200 people were punished - executed and exiled to Siberia.
Following them on carts went the bell, which was beaten after the death of the tsarevich. They cut off the tongue of the sounding bell and sent them into exile in Tobolsk. In 1677, a strong fire broke out in the Siberian city, during which the disgraced bell melted. In the 18th century, it was decided to cast a new bell of exactly the same weight and place it in the Tobolsk Museum. It was he who was taken to Uglich and placed in the temple of Tsarevich Dimitry on the Blood.
View of the Church of Tsarevich Dimitri on the Blood from the River Station
With the death of the young tsarevich, the terrible times of Troubles began in Russia. The state was ruled by the brother of one of the wives of John IV the Terrible - Boris Godunov. The new tsar was disliked and suspected of murdering a child. Godunov was replaced by the Romanov dynasty, whose history stretched for more than 300 years.
Temple history
Immediately after the death of Tsarevich Demetrius, a small wooden chapel was built on the site of his death. She stood until the invasion of the Polish-Lithuanian troops and during the battle with the Poles completely burned down.
In 1630, the inhabitants of the city erected a new wooden church. In 1681-1692, a stone temple was built on the site of a badly dilapidated building. It is noteworthy that the construction was sponsored by one of Maria Nagoya's relatives - Princess Anna Vasilievna Cherkasskaya. It is this church that has survived to this day in the complex of the Uglich Kremlin.
Architectural features and interiors
View of the Church of Tsarevich Demetrius from the territory of the Uglich Kremlin
The festively decorated building is a real pearl of the "Golden Ring" of Russia. Many tourists specially come to Uglich to see the elegant memorial temple and places that are described in the "History of the Russian State" by N. M. Karamzin and the historical drama by A. Pushkin "Boris Godunov".
The beautiful temple "by ship" consists of a pillarless quadrangle, a refectory, a porch and a low hipped bell tower. The church completes a decorative five-domed church, and its walls are covered with dark red paint, which symbolizes the color of the spilled blood.
Inside there are icons painted by Russian masters. They depict biblical stories and executions of the "perpetrators of death" of the tsarevich. It can be seen that very talented masters worked on the images, since the figures of Adam and Eve from the scene of the expulsion from Paradise are written out very sensually and vividly.
Useful information for tourists
The old church has the status of one of the branches Uglich Museum. It is open to visitors daily from 9:00 to 18:00. An exile bell can be seen inside.
View of the domes of the Church of Tsarevich Dimitri on the Blood
A ticket for adults costs 70 rubles, for students - 65 rubles, and for schoolchildren - 60 rubles. A single ticket to inspect the entire Kremlin together with the Church of Tsarevich Dimitri on the Blood - for adults 450 rubles, for students - 400 rubles, and for schoolchildren - 350 rubles (2021).
How to get there
Fragment of the painting of the Church of Tsarevich Dimitri on the Blood
The temple stands on the picturesque steep bank of the Volga, in the historic center of the city. It is only five minutes walk from the Uglich bus station. The Kremlin is located at a distance of 3 km from the Uglich railway station. Tourists who come to the ancient city by train get to the place by taxi or buses No. 9, 108 or 118. You need to go to the stop "Uspenskaya Ploshchad".
Information sources
- Sobors.ru, Uglich. Church of Dimitri Tsarevich "on blood"
- Wikipedia, Church of Demetrius on Blood
- Official site of the city of Uglich, Church of Dimitri Tsarevich "on the blood"
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