Nikitskaya Church in Honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God

The Church of St. Nicholas in honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Kaluga was rebuilt in 1755 after a fire. From 1799 to 1819, it served as the city's cathedral, and during the Soviet era it was closed and used as a warehouse, a children's cinema called "Pioneer", and was rented out to commercial entities. In March 1929, by decision of the authorities, the upper tiers of the bell tower and the central dome of the church were demolished. The building was returned to the Kaluga diocese in 2004, after which restoration work began.