A local tradition dates the town's origins to 937. It was first documented in 1148 as Ugliche Pole (Corner Field). The town's name is thought to allude to the nearby turn in the Volga River.
Grand Duke Ivan III of Moscow gave the town to his younger brother Andrey Bolshoy in 1462. During Andrey's reign, the town was expanded and first stone buildings were constructed. Particularly notable were the cathedral (rebuilt in 1713), the Intercession Monastery (destroyed by the Bolsheviks) and the red-brick palace of the prince (completed in 1481 and still standing).
The key event in the town's history was the murder of Dmitry, the Tsarovitch, the last remaining son of Ivan the Terrible. The murder of Dmitry ended the Rurik Dynasty and allowed Boris Godinov, his regent, to steal the throne. After Godinov died the "Times of Trouble" started with several false Dmitries claiming the throne.
The town Kremlin no longer has its walls, but it does have the palace where Dmitry lived with his mother, as well as "St. Dmitry of the Blood" which was built on the location of his murder.