Description of the attraction
In the city of Uglich, on Sharkov Street, there is the Alekseevsky Monastery, which is the oldest of all the monasteries in the city. It is located just behind the Stone Creek, on a small hill, which in the past was called the Fiery Mountain. The founding of the monastery took place in 1371 with the support of the Moscow Metropolitan Alexy. As you know, Alexy played a rather active role in political life, which is why he decided to build a monastery in these places, which also became a political step. At that time, the Moscow principality, which was gaining strength, sought to extend its influence to other principalities.
In 1584, at the Alekseevsky monastery, a stone church was erected - the temple of Metropolitan Alexy - from this church only the ruined remains of the walls have come down to us.
For a long time, other monastery buildings remained wooden. The Alekseevsky Monastery has always enjoyed great sympathy among the royal people. In the 19th century, an orphanage operated at the monastery, as well as a library and a school for ministers' children; homeless people could eat at the monastery.
The most important feature of the monastery is the "Wonderful" Assumption Church, which is visible from afar, equipped with three tents. It received its name "Wonderful" immediately after its construction in 1628 - at this time the city was gradually recovering from the deadly Polish-Lithuanian devastation. In the period between 1608 and 1612 Uglich was besieged by the Poles, which is why about five hundred people were hiding behind the gates of the monastery. Soon the Poles were able to get into the monastery, and all the inhabitants of the city were killed. Most likely, the first tent-roofed church was built in memory of the tragically perished townspeople, because it was the tent-roofed temples that were built in honor of the blessed memory of the dead or in honor of new victories. Three massive tents were erected as symbolic monuments to the inhabitants of the city of Uglich.
The Assumption Church stands on an elevated basement, and an extended refectory room adjoins it on the west side. The main part of the composition is the central part, equipped with three white tents and the same number of apses, somewhat echoing with the hipped roof of the temple. The surrounding of the central tent is made in the form of a belt of kokoshniks, while it is slightly raised and shifted towards the west, which is why the overall composition looks more voluminous. The decoration of the walls is made very laconically, because they set off the tents, and ledges-edges run along the edges of the edges, which gives a light and delicate look. The apse is decorated with ornate arcature-columnar belts, which give the temple a festive look. In the inner part, the church is small, because the tents themselves are made "deaf".
Not far from the Church of the Dormition there is a later built cathedral in the name of John the Baptist, which appeared in 1681. The building of the cathedral is presented quite massive and wide, equipped with five huge domes, located on rather thin drums. The wide refectory room makes the temple more squat, which further increases its squatness in comparison with the nearby high Assumption Church.
Until 1917, near the apses of the cathedral, there was a monastery cemetery, on the territory of which honorary residents of Uglich and monks were buried for almost 600 years. During the Soviet period, the cemetery was destroyed, and today a rose garden is located in its place.
At the Alekseevsky Monastery, the Epiphany Church operated along with a refectory room, and there was also a bell tower.
Along the perimeter, on all sides, the monastery was surrounded by a stone fence, and there were also the Holy Gates. None of the buildings have survived to this day or only partially exist, for example, a gate and a fence.
In the 30s of the 20th century, the monastery was closed and some of its buildings were given for housing. At present, the monastery is a functioning nunnery.
