Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Uglich - 2 August 2008

Iconostasis
Uglich churchYesterday's tour was very late in the afternoon, this morning's was bright and early as we disembarked at Uglich. It was really 'same old, same old' and the general impression was that the group was suffering from church-lag. There is also an over exposure of a cappella church/folk choirs: 3 voices at Kizhi; 4 at Krillov; 5 at Yarosavl; and two choirs of 5 this morning, the only new thing being 3 female singers in one choir.

Uglich churchUglich church

The oddest fact this morning concerned a bell that was rung in Uglich to announce the assassination of Ivan the Terrible's son Demitri. Uglich lockThe official verdict was later decreed to be be that he cut his own throat while suffering an epileptic fit. The bell having, thus, alerted the townsfolk erroneously was taken down from the bell-tower, whipped and sent into exile in Siberia on the backs of some townsfolk. The bell has since been returned to Uglich and is displayed in the church built on the site of Demetri's unfortunate demise.

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