YAROSLAVL SOMEHOW ESCAPED THE SOVIET architectural plague, retaining the buildings of 17th and 18th Century merchants. It also has more onion domes than you can shake a stick at, boasting fifteen domed churches in all, including the replica 1215 Annunciation Cathedral, blown up by the Bolsheviks in 1937, and rebuilt in 2010. We were given parole to wander around Yaroslavl with the understanding we would meet at the Governor’s Palace for a tour and a bit of music and dance.
Church of the Assumption Governor's Palace
Uglich was the first “real” town we have visited, a place where real Russians lead real lives. Granted, the arrival of a cruise ship is cause to strike up the band, dress up in costume and start flogging the souvenirs, but the Harvest Festival where families showcase the fruits (and veggies) of their labors was the real deal. The historical draw, however, is the Church of St. Dmitri on the Blood, where the child heir to Ivan the Terrible met with a suspicious death.
Church of Dmitri on the Blood Real people, real lives
