Russia’s Atlantis

Without the Volga, there would be no Russia

The bell tower of St Nicholas Cathedral, flooded during the construction of the Uglich Reservoir (1940, Stalinist era). The cathedral itself disappeared under water; only the bell tower remained.

It’s striking how the tragedy of thousands of people along the Volga—who lost not only their church but their homes—is now romantically repackaged as “Russia’s Atlantis” and marketed as a pilgrimage site for tourists.

I’ve been photographing this bell tower on and off for thirty years, if not longer. I first saw it from the yacht *Eva*, when my son and I travelled from Moscow to Kazan. We didn’t think of it as a lighthouse—though people say it served as one for a long time—but we took the risk and circled it by boat to see it from every side.

Today, little has changed. New bells have been hung, a bell-ringer is brought in, and the tower has been painted white. Tourist boats circle it, but the stories of the people—some of whom died here, others who were forced from their homes—are rarely told. Instead, it’s simply called “Russia’s Atlantis,” and visitors are invited to pray for Russia. Welcome.

Oleg Klimov, on the Volga river again, 26 April 2026.