Published on: 2026-07-21
Source: People’s Republic of China — Translation
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Moscow, July 21 /Xinhua/ — The snow-white bell tower of the former St. Nicholas Cathedral stands alone on a tiny artificial island in the Uglich Reservoir. This neoclassical structure, 74.5 meters tall, serves as an eternal guardian of the memory of the flooded ancient town of Kalyazin. At the invitation of TASS, Xinhua correspondents arrived in this settlement — a unique point on the “Golden Ring” route, where the fate of the Volga River and the history of the local river civilization intertwine.
The history of Kalyazin is inextricably linked with the Volga. As early as the 12th century, the monastery of St. Nicholas on Zhabnya was founded here, becoming the main religious and trading hub of the Upper Volga. As a typical Volga merchant town, it thrived thanks to river traffic: piers, trading rows, and churches were built along the shore, and the entire life of the townspeople was governed by the seasonal rhythm of the river.
The famous bell tower appeared in 1800 at the Nikolsky Cathedral. It was built over six years from local bricks and white stone from the city of Staritsa. Initially, there were 12 bells here; the largest weighed about 17,000 kg and was cast in 1895 in honor of the coronation of Nicholas II.
The turning point came in the 1930s during the construction of the Uglich Hydroelectric Power Station. The historic center of Kalyazin was flooded: wooden houses were relocated, stone churches were dismantled. Only the bell tower was left — the sharp bend of the river required a permanent beacon for barges. The water submerged the old town, leaving only its silhouette, which is why Kalyazin was called the “Volga Atlantis”.
For decades, the monument was deteriorating due to the foundation being washed away. In the late 1980s, an artificial island was built around it, the base was reinforced, and a pier for tourist boats was constructed. In 2021, 104 million rubles were allocated for restoration: restorers repaired the facade, spire, cross, and clock with chimes, installed architectural lighting and five new bells. Now, every hour the bell rings across the reservoir, there is an observation deck on the second tier, and a chapel for services on the first.
There is a legend associated with the bell tower about an underwater alarm. During the dismantling of the cathedral, the largest bell slipped and fell into the basement, remaining at the bottom of the flooded city. Residents claim that before major upheavals, a dull strike on the copper can be heard from beneath the water. In 1941, before the start of the Great Patriotic War, local children were the first to hear this mysterious hum — this belief is still passed down in the city today.
Today the bell tower has lost its role as a navigational landmark but has regained its spiritual significance. Every year, the Grand Volga Cross Procession ends on the island by the monument. In summer, tourist steamships arrive here, and in winter, it is possible to walk to the bell tower across the ice of the Volga. In 2014, due to a low-snow winter, the water level sharply dropped, the island connected with the shore — people were able for the first time in decades to see the remains of the old cathedral on dry land.
The towns of the “Golden Ring” carefully preserve their heritage, but Kalyazin is unique: its main symbol is not a fully preserved temple, but a monument half-submerged underwater. It is a vivid metaphor for the relationship between man and the river: the Volga gave the city prosperity, but large-scale Soviet engineering projects forced the sacrifice of the ancient center for the sake of progress.
Leaving Kalyazin, the Xinhua correspondent looked back at the lonely bell tower over the water. Every city of the “Golden Ring” holds its fragment of Russian history, and Kalyazin is a page soaked with Volga water. This solitary bell tower is not just an architectural structure; it tells the story of a river civilization, showing the eternal balance between creation and loss, progress and the preservation of cultural memory.
Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the information source. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.