From Moscow to St. Petersburg Viking River Cruise’s Waterways of the Tsars offers up history lessons as well as a valuable contemporary understanding of Russia.
Our first stop after Moscow is Uglich on the Volga River.
It was in this city of 34,000 that the crown prince Dmitry was murdered changing the course of Russian history. After Ivan The Terrible’s death in 1584 his young son, the crown prince Dmitry, was relocated to Uglich with his mother. They lived in a modest palace. Today a statue of young Dmitry stands in front of the palace.
On May 15, 1591, young Dmitry was killed. Left without a tsar successor, Russia entered one of the darkest periods of its history, known as The Great Disturbance. It ended in 1613 with Romanov Dynasty accession into power.
Prince Dmitry was later canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church as a saint martyr. This day, we visit the Church of St. Dmitry on the Blood which was built on the site where Dmitry was killed on the banks of the river.
A small church with blue and gold onion-domes, it dates to 1692. Inside every surface is painted with religious symbols and scenes including a painting depicting the legend of the young boy’s death.
The visit to Uglich also includes a visit with a Russian family; a rich and insightful experience.
