Nicholas-Zaretsky Church

Nicholas-Zaretsky Church
54°12′17.3″N 37°36′59.7″E / 54.204806°N 37.616583°E / 54.204806; 37.616583
Location	Tula
Country	Russia
Denomination	Russian Orthodox Church
History
Founded	1730
Founder(s)	Akinfiy Demidov
Consecrated	1734
Architecture
Status	Landmark
Style	Petrine Baroque
Administration
Diocese	Diocese of Tula and Belevskoy
Clergy
Abbot	Archpriest Victor Matveev

The Nicholas-Zaretsky Church (Николо-Зарецкий храм) is a church in Tula in Russia. It contains the family vault of the Demidov family of industrialists. Its usual name is the Nicholas-Zaretsky Church, though it has held various others over time.

History

The church originated as two separate 17th century wooden churches on the site, replaced between 1730 and 1734 by a new double-nave church. The new church's founder is considered to be Akinfiy Demidov, son of Nikita Demidov. It has several side chapels, with paintings of the Nativity, St Nicholas, St Andrew and Tikhon of Kaluga. In 1734 a new crypt chapel was built for burials of the Demidov family. A bell tower in the Yaroslava-Suzdal style was built near the church. In Soviet times the church was closed and used as a warehouse, though it is now back in use as a church.

External links

• (Russian) Russian Church
• (Russian) Diocese of Tula and Belevskoy