Walking along Volzhskaya Embankment, be sure to turn into Narodny Lane — here, surrounded by ordinary residential buildings, stands the ancient Church of Nikola Nadein. It is considered the first stone church built in the city posad.
Its construction began as early as 1620, when the Time of Troubles had just ended and some order had been restored in Rus'. The church received its name in honor of Nicholas the Wonderworker, whose icon was once washed ashore on the bank of the Volga at this place, and in memory of the earthly benefactor Nadeya Sveteshnikov.
He was the richest merchant in Rus', who not only built the church but also started an entire tradition — building churches with his own money. Wealthy dynasties literally began competing to erect churches, each one better than the last. This was considered the finest display of prosperity.
Originally, the Church of Nikola Nadein had five domes, but in 1836 the side cupolas were dismantled, leaving only one — the central one. A bell tower was added nearby, adorned with a beautiful octagonal tented dome.
Everything most interesting is inside the church. First and foremost, these are the ancient murals covering all the walls. In some places you can see frescoes made back in the 17th century by a team of Yaroslavl and Kostroma masters. And the church's main attraction is considered to be the Baroque iconostasis, which, as they say, was made from drawings by Fyodor Volkov — the very man who founded Russian theater.
