Pilgrimage to Uglich, Church of Tsarevich Demetrius “on the Blood”

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Russia Yaroslavl region Uglich Church of Tsarevich Dimitri “on the Blood” (Uglich) Map is loading...

57.528892; 38.318384

Russia, Yaroslavl region, Uglich, Kremlin street, 2

Uglich, Yaroslavl region 152615

Russia

Church of Demetrius "on the Blood"

- the temple of the Uglich Kremlin, erected on the picturesque steep bank of the Volga, which marks the place of the murder of Tsarevich Dimitri of Uglich. Since 2001, the church has been a candidate for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

History[edit]

The Church of St. Tsarevich Demetrius is the most famous temple in Uglich. It stands on a high cape at the confluence of the Kamenny Stream and the Volga. This temple is mentioned in all guidebooks to the Golden Ring and the Volga, it has been visited by millions of people: pilgrims and tourists.

After the death of Tsarevich Dimitri on May 15, 1591, a chapel was built in the backyard of the princely palace. But it did not last long, until the time of the destruction of Uglich by the Poles. Then, in 1630, a tented wooden church in honor of Tsarevich Dimitri appeared on this site, and with it - the winter church of the Archangel Michael.

In the altar of the original temple there was a tomb, under which was the place where the prince’s blood was shed. According to legend, on every anniversary of death, blood appeared on the sand. Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich himself could observe this when he visited Uglich in 1663. Amazed by what he saw, he donated a cross to the church for the temple icon.

The stone church on the site of the old wooden one was built in 1692, the lower floor was occupied by the Church of the Archangel Michael, the upper floor was occupied by the Church of Tsarevich Demetrius. The temple was decorated in the Moscow picturesque style of that time. The main volume of the building rises on the basement and consists of four parts: the temple part, the altar, the porch with the bell tower and the refectory.

The altar of the Demetrius Church is semicircular; it is also adjacent to an extension that expands the lower altar. The temple part of the building is especially exquisite. It ends with a harmonious five-chapter. The porch is accessed from the west by a porch leading to the second floor. The porch from the north continued with a small gallery connecting the parts of the temple. A tented bell tower completes the appearance of the temple. All corners are decorated with shoulder blades, the belts correspond to the arches. The windows of the building have large and patterned frames with columns and kokoshniks. Under the roof of the quadrangle there is a tier of kokoshniks, despite the fact that the temple has no internal pillars.

The interior of the church is cozy and modest. Numerous icons have been preserved from the time the church was built. One of the iconostases, located in the refectory, dates back to the 17th century. The temple iconostasis was installed in 1866. It is stylized in Baroque style. The paintings of the Demetrius Church are quite complex. 12 marks on the southern and northern walls of the temple illustrate the symbol of faith. They could well have been painted by the team of the famous royal iconographer P.F. Bilindin, who painted numerous icons for this temple. Later they were rewritten and updated. The remaining scenes of the painting were completed by the painters of Sapozhnikov’s artel in 1772.

The composition on the western wall of the temple part “The Murder of Tsarevich Dimitri” attracts the most attention. The whole story of the death of the prince, the reprisal of the townspeople against his murderers and the transfer of the relics of Prince Dimitri to Moscow are told in dramatic tones. On the altar there is a painting dedicated to the theme of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The theme is made in deliberately dark colors, leaving a serious and gloomy mood.

The ensemble of paintings in the refectory, dating back to 1787-1788, is interesting. They belong to the hand of the painter Pyotr Khlebnikov and tell about the creation of the world, the fall of Adam and Eve.

At the top, in the hallmarks, there are images of the days of the creation of the world; in the center of the vault, the Lord of Hosts floats, surrounded by angels. On the walls of the temple is the history of the first people. The figures are drawn naturally, although not quite perfectly, but with knowledge of anatomy, this was a kind of tribute to that time and a modern artistic achievement. Somewhat later, belts covering nakedness were added to them. The commandments are written in round marks on the arch of the porch.

The northern gallery of the church was replaced in 1861 by a large chapel in honor of Tsarevich Dimitri and the princes of Yaroslavl Fyodor, David, Konstantin, made in the eclectic style. The camp church of the Uglich squad that went to the Crimean War in 1855 was kept here.

How to get to the Church of Demetrius on Spilled Blood in Uglich

From the nearest public transport stops you will have to walk about 200 meters, heading towards the Uglich Kremlin. To the Uspenskaya Square stop:

buses - No. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 62, 118, 124t;
minibuses - No. 1a, 2, 4, 6, 7, 51, 62, 82, 114, 118a.

You can get to the Rostovskaya Street stop:

by bus number 3;
minibuses - No. 3, 8, 10, 117.

A special website will help you create your own route. To call a taxi in Uglich, it is recommended to use the popular Yandex Go application.

Church of Demetrius on Blood: video

Current state[edit]

Today, one of the museum departments is located in the church of Tsarevich Dimitri. In addition to works of art, here you can see relics associated with the prince, including the famous exile bell.

Architecture[edit]

The small building “like a ship” consists of a pillarless quadrangle stretched upward with a decorative five-domed structure, a refectory, a porch (a Yaroslavl-style porch on creeping arches) and a low hipped bell tower. The building is decorated in an elegant manner from the late 17th century. On the blood-red surface of the walls (the color of spilled blood), snow-white decorative details stand out - platbands, semi-columns, cornices. The southern façade of the church is well preserved, but on the northern side a chapel was built in the 19th century, which does not fit well with the architecture of the main building.

Painting and interior decoration[edit]

The church has preserved paintings from the second half of the 18th century, which depict the death of Tsarevich Dmitry, as well as the massacre of the murderers by the crowd. It is assumed that they were made by the artel of the Moscow contractor Sapozhnikov in 1772.

The paintings in the refectory are dedicated to the biblical story of the creation of the world, Adam and Eve, their fall from grace and expulsion from paradise. They were made by master Khlebnikov from Borisoglebskiye Sloboda in 1788 and represent a striking example of the introduction of secular tastes into church painting (volumetric and realistically executed nude figures of Adam and Eve).

Clearing and strengthening of the wall paintings were carried out by the Yaroslavl Scientific and Restoration Workshop in 1971-1976. The temple belongs to the local museum, entrance fee is charged. The famous exile alarm bell is on display here.

Memory of Tsarevich Dimitri

The holy noble prince Dimitri of Uglich (Moscow) is recognized in Orthodoxy as the patron saint of children in special need (orphans, disabled people). In 1997, the Russian Children's Fund introduced the Order of the Holy Blessed Tsarevich Demetrius. They are awarded to figures for their great contribution to the protection and assistance of children. Since the 17th century, his face has been placed on the coat of arms and since 1999 on the city’s flag.

On May 28, Tsarevich Dmitry's Day is celebrated. In 2011, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus', this day acquired the status of an All-Russian Orthodox children's holiday.

The memory of those difficult times is carefully preserved in the relics that are in the museum.

Exile Bell

The residents were notified of the death of the prince by ringing the alarm. The ringing of the alarm bell gathered the people to take revenge on the murderers. Later, when dealing with the participants in the lynching, Boris Godunov ordered the bell to be punished: the tongue was cut off (like a person), and it, together with the Uglich rebels, became the first exiled bell.

They transported him to the city of Tobolsk, to the territory of Siberia annexed to the Russian state. The exiles carried the bell on themselves. In 1677, during a fire, it melted, but in memory of the unjust punishment, a similar weight was cast in the 18th century. At the end of the 19th century, the already disgraced bell was returned back.

Stretcher and cancer

On these stretchers the relics of Demetrius were carried to Moscow. Then the relic was returned back and became an object of worship. It became part of the cult of the saint and cancer, made of wood and brocade, which contained the relics.

Walking around the Kremlin

This place is amazing and unusual: the Uglich Kremlin. Everything here is so steeped in history and unexpectedly “diluted” with modern colors.

Nearby there is a pier where excursion ships regularly arrive to disembark the next batch of tourists.

Along the Volga there are many souvenir shops offering a variety of national products. Foreigners willingly buy it all.

Here you can easily take a photo with the “kings” who walk side by side along the embankment. Or you can dress up yourself in the costume of a queen or noblewoman to feel like a part of Russian history, at least for a few minutes.

So come, come! Plunge into the clear expanse of the beautiful Volga and the history of our Motherland. Its turns and zigzags are no less impressive than the natural curves of the Volga. It is very interesting and very beautiful here! And if you remember the events that took place here, it’s truly breathtaking!

Where is it located, how much does it cost

Entrance to the territory of the Uglich Kremlin is free. But to visit the Chambers of the Uglich Princes, the Church on the Blood and other exhibitions, you need to buy an entrance ticket.

If excursion support is required, it costs extra money.

Judging by the price list, you can order both a live guide and an audio guide. There is an additional charge for indoor photo and video shooting.

We only bought entrance tickets. After a whole day spent in Uglich and a huge number of impressions received, there was nowhere to upload new information.

The opening hours of museums in the Kremlin are very limited:

in winter they are open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.:
in summer - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In order to climb the bell tower, try asking for the key in the church shop of the Transfiguration Cathedral. Perhaps you will be lucky too, like us.