City Duma Building

Above the slope of the old moat in the southeastern part of the Kremlin stands an impressive front building decorated with a six-columned portico. This is the former building of the City offices, built in 1813-1815, which was the place of work of the city administration for more than a hundred years. It housed the City Duma, the City Magistrate (later the City Council), the Guild Council, the court, the bank, the archives, the county and parish schools, the hall for public meetings, etc.

It has two floors, a clear symmetrical facade, and a mezzanine in the center. A simple four-pitched roof rises from above. As we get closer, we notice some inconsistencies in the parts, even some rudeness, typical of provincial architecture. The facade seems to be blurring, losing its charm. But it is worth moving further away, especially to look from the square, the Filippovsky Bridge, and the building takes on the appearance of a noble and exquisite palace rising above the picturesque bends of the Stone streambed. This is an interesting effect. But it is also interesting that the building has two main facades – one, as mentioned, overlooks the city square, and the second is completely identical to the Kremlin. There he is well perceived against the background of the greenery of the park and the large facade of the Epiphany Cathedral.

Inside, many elements of the strict and ascetic government building of the Alexander era have been preserved. Rooms with empty walls and modest stucco cornices, vaulted rooms with grilles and wrought-iron doors for storing valuables. The former public Red Hall, where the Duma met and Soviet power was proclaimed in Uglich, became a Music Lounge where concerts are held. A new exhibition hall was opened nearby in 2010.

The building houses the museum departments, the archive and the library.