Church of St. John the Baptist, Religious building in Kirillov, Russia

The Church of St. John the Baptist is a four-piered stone church with three apses, built in 1531–1534. Its cross-in-square plan is shifted toward the southeast, widening the northwestern bays of the side facades. The main drum carries a broad band of ornament, and a second dome once rose over the side chapel. Buttresses survive at the southern and western corners.

The church was built between 1531 and 1534 during a period of monastic expansion in northern Russia. This construction project represented an important phase in the development of the monastery complex.

The church is dedicated to the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, with a side chapel of St. Cyril of Belozersk. It was built on a donation from Grand Prince Vasily III after the birth of his son, the future Ivan the Terrible, whom the monastery considered its patron. The main drum carries a wide band of ornament in the local tradition.

Visitors enter through the main monastery gate, where tours in Russian are available during regular opening hours. Comfortable footwear is recommended since walking around the complex involves crossing courtyards and uneven surfaces.

The 1601 inventory records a bell tower "on six pillars" beside the church, and the 1668 inventory notes crosses and cupolas covered with white iron scales and planks. The church also kept two wooden porches on its west and south facades, and the 1773 inventory mentions eleven mica windows.