The Uglich Kremlin, like many medieval fortresses, is located on a peninsula at the tip between the Volga River and the Shelkovka and Kamenny streams. A moat was dug between the Shelkovka and Kamenny streams, allowing the Kremlin to be surrounded by a water barrier on all sides.

The first fortifications at this site appeared as early as the mid-10th century when Prince Yan Pleskovich received permission from Princess Olga to build a fortress. The original Kremlin was wooden and surrounded by earthen ramparts. Over time, the defensive structures were restored several times, with the last reconstruction occurring in the 17th century. After that, the walls, bridges, and towers of the Kremlin gradually fell into disrepair and were dismantled in the 18th century. Today, only fragments of the moat remind us of the fortress fortifications. However, the ensemble of Kremlin buildings has survived, among which the princely chambers, the Transfiguration Cathedral, the Church of Tsarevich Dmitry, the Duma building, and the bell tower stand out.

The princely chambers of the Uglich Kremlin are a rare example of medieval civil architecture in Russia. They were built in the 15th century by Prince Andrei Goryayev, the brother of Tsar Ivan III. Only the ceremonial part of the palace, made of large bricks, has survived to this day. The other wooden structures did not endure. On the third floor of the chambers is a large vaulted hall with frescoes. The second floor contains three large rooms, while the first has two basement rooms. An elegantly decorated porch leads to the ceremonial hall.

In 1584, the last wife of Ivan the Terrible, Maria Nagaya, was exiled to Uglich along with the young Tsarevich Dmitry. It was in this palace that the Tsarevich was murdered, which ultimately led to the end of the Rurik dynasty. After the death of the Tsarevich, the chambers were abandoned and gradually fell into ruin until restoration was carried out in the 19th century. In 1892, architect N.V. Sultanov created an elaborate porch for the princely chambers.