Сity Walks

Palace Mysteries of the Town of Alexandrov

111 km from Moscow, not far from Sergiev Posad  there is a little town called Aleksandrov with population about 60000 people. From the first sight you actually can't tell that this is an ancient Russian town. It's situated on ancient highway, which means that it crosses the heart of the town and is actually a central avenue. In Aleksandrov you can get into medieval basements and see Ivan the Terrible's  inquisition equipment. You can also climb Raspyatskaya Bell-Tower, which is famous for the case when Slave Nikita, so-called Russian Icarus, tried to take-off using wings made of wax and feathers. In 17th century there was a Palace of Russian Tsar Nikita Fedorovich, a hundred years later Russian Princess Elizabeth, Peter the Great's daughter was exiled here. She was only 20 years old. Two centuries before Ivan the Terrible, being afraid of conspiracy so to say made Aleksandrov a kind of Russian Capital for 15 years. Ivan the Terrible had 7 wifes. Actually Russian Tsars were allowed to have not more than 3 wifes,because the church simply didn't bless the marriage, but Ivan the Terrible broke the law. He got a special permission for the fourth marriage from Synod. Later he didn't pay any attention on verger's protests. Ivan's wives were quite unlucky. One wife mysteriously died 2 weeks after the wedding. Another wife was send to the monastery, the third one was buried alive for her faithlessness.

Presenter Yuriy Pes'yakov

Year 2009

Duration 00:22:10

Presenter Yuriy Pes'yakov

111 km from Moscow, not far from Sergiev Posad  there is a little town called Aleksandrov with population about 60000 people. From the first sight you actually can't tell that this is an ancient Russian town. It's situated on ancient highway, which means that it crosses the heart of the town and is actually a central avenue. In Aleksandrov you can get into medieval basements and see Ivan the Terrible's  inquisition equipment. You can also climb Raspyatskaya Bell-Tower, which is famous for the case when Slave Nikita, so-called Russian Icarus, tried to take-off using wings made of wax and feathers. In 17th century there was a Palace of Russian Tsar Nikita Fedorovich, a hundred years later Russian Princess Elizabeth, Peter the Great's daughter was exiled here. She was only 20 years old. Two centuries before Ivan the Terrible, being afraid of conspiracy so to say made Aleksandrov a kind of Russian Capital for 15 years. Ivan the Terrible had 7 wifes. Actually Russian Tsars were allowed to have not more than 3 wifes,because the church simply didn't bless the marriage, but Ivan the Terrible broke the law. He got a special permission for the fourth marriage from Synod. Later he didn't pay any attention on verger's protests. Ivan's wives were quite unlucky. One wife mysteriously died 2 weeks after the wedding. Another wife was send to the monastery, the third one was buried alive for her faithlessness.

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