The Nicholas-Zaretsky Church (''Николо-Зарецкий храм'') is a church in

Tula Tula may refer to: Geography Antarctica *Tula Mountains *Tula Point India *Tulā, a solar month in the traditional Indian calendar Iran * Tula, Iran, a village in Hormozgan Province Italy * Tula, Sardinia, municipality (''comune'') in the pr ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

. It contains the family vault of the

Demidov The House of Demidov (russian: Деми́довы) also Demidoff, was a prominent Russian Empire, Russian noble family during the 18th and 19th centuries. Originating in the city of Tula, Russia, Tula in the 17th century, the Demidovs found suc ...

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.

Akinfiy Nikitich Demidov Akinfiy Nikitich Demidov (russian: Акинфий Никитич Демидов) (1678 Tula - 5 August 1745 Yatskoye Ustye, Menzelinsky Uyezd, Orenburg Governorate) was a Russian industrialist of the Demidov family. Life He was the eldest so ...

, son of

Nikita Demidov Nikita Demidov (full name Nikita Demidovich Antufiev), (5 April 1656 Tula, Russia, Tula – 28 November 1725 Tula) was a Russian Business magnate, industrialist who founded the Demidov, Demidov industrial dynasty. Peter the Great, Peter I of Russi ...

, is considered to be the founder of the new church. It has several side chapels, with paintings of the Nativity,

Saint Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra, ; la, Sanctus Nicolaus (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (; modern-da ...

Andrew the Apostle Andrew the Apostle ( grc-koi, Ἀνδρέᾱς, Andréās ; la, Andrēās ; , syc, ܐܰܢܕ݁ܪܶܐܘܳܣ, ʾAnd’reʾwās), also called Saint Andrew, was an Apostles in the New Testament, apostle of Jesus according to the New Testament. He ...

and

Tikhon of Kaluga Tikhon of Kaluga (died 16 June 1492) was a Russian abbot and saint. He grew up in Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city ...

. 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 Church
*{{in lang, ru}
Diocese of Tula and Belevskoy
* Churches in Tula Oblast Baroque church buildings in Russia 1734 establishments in Europe Russian Orthodox church buildings in Russia Cultural heritage monuments of federal significance in Tula Oblast