Uglish is not Ugly

Actually, Uglish means corner. This town was built where the Volga makes an almost perfect right angle. I have already mentioned this town for it’s music. I believe the Russians are very proud of Uglish as can be noted in its restored monastary and churches. It was here that the sordid tragedy of Tzar Ivan the Terrible’s second son, Dimitry, unfolded in 1585. Immortalized in the opera Boris Godinov by Modeste Mussorgsky, the truth about Dimitry’s accidental death or murder cannot be ascertained.

Uglish has been a regular port-of-call for Volga cruises for quite some time. It is much smaller than St. Petersburg, however the residents obviously make a lot of effort to attract tourists’ rubles. Before one enters the historic grounds one walks through an open crafts market selling all manner of knick-knacks, jewelry, and apparel. I did not buy anything the first time we went through, but I couldn’t resist on the way back. The prices are about one fourth the price of similar articles in Moscow.

Russians are rightly proud of their small lacquered containers of varied shapes and sizes. I purchased one in sky blue and black, favorite decor colors for my youngest daughter-in-law, who has just moved into her first home. There is also dominant green and dominant red, yet the artwork always remains within certain long established criteria. 

Linen apparel of all kinds is beautifully designed & tailored. Whether a shawl, dress shirt, or hat, these are in natural tones of cream and light grey, never dyed. I missed getting what I would have liked. (Darn!) Costume jewelry of semi-precious stones can be bought for a song. Of course, you’ll never beat the Russians for amber, which comes in a variety of hues. I got some pearls and completed a set of amber jewelry.

I was really sorry to miss purchasing a couple of gaily painted stick puppets, traditional humorous characters. When we came back through, the doll stand had closed. I never wanted the Matryoshka dolls which are everywhere and, to my thinking, nothing special. 

Inside the historical area was a pavillion that sold satin brocaded, authentic period costumes. I suggest that the big opera houses producing Boris Godinov simply send their costume designer to Uglish to purchase whatever is needed. They’d probably come out cheaper and more historically accurate.

A pretty good comparison between then and now

There were several young people modeling the costumes on the stairs of this historic building.

The welcome in Uglish was warm and fun. And yes, Russians can smile & laugh. We appreciated their effort to communicate in English without being pushy. While we were having coffee on a hotel terrace we noticed cars artfully dodging huge potholes. There is nothing so tell-tale in a country as poor infrastructure and streets in disrepair. We wish that Mother Russia would take pity on this lovely “child,” who is trying very hard to lift herself up with the best she has to offer: Russian Heritage.