Rarely does an example of old wooden architecture survive to the present day: usually such structures either perish in fires or gradually deteriorate and are rebuilt in stone. But in Ivanovo there is a genuine fully wooden Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is an exception to the rule.
This church was built approximately in the 16th century; it was part of the architectural complex of the monastery on Pokrovskaya Hill and was then called Troitskaya. Of all the monastery buildings, only this church has survived.
In 1815 it was decided to move it to Uspenskoye Cemetery, and since then it has been called the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 1849 one side chapel, that of the Great Martyr Barbara, was dismantled, and in 1883 services in the dilapidated church building ceased. At the beginning of the 20th century the church was moved again - this time to Frunze Street, where it remains today.
This resilient church has preserved its original style from long ago: outwardly, it resembles an izba built of logs. It is crowned by a single dome on a tented roof.
The church still welcomes worshippers and ordinary visitors; inside, you can see a good selection of old icons or simply admire the amazing and extremely rare wooden church architecture.
