Church of the Nicholas Gostiny, Orthodox church within Kolomna Kremlin, Russia.
The Church of the Nicholas Gostiny is a stone Orthodox church on the territory of the Kolomna Kremlin. From the original 1501 building survive the chetverik with a crossed vault and a faceted apse; the rest was rebuilt in 1848, when side chapels were added in the refectory. The bell tower and the five domes were demolished in Soviet times and have not been restored.
The church is first documented in 1501, when it served as the patronal church of Kolomna's merchant guild of gosti. In 1641 it was renovated at the expense of the Kolomna gost Vasily Ivanovich Yuryev. The 1848 reconstruction gave it a new architectural appearance, and in Soviet times the bell tower and five domes were demolished; the building housed a sports school until 2002, and the first liturgy after reopening was held on 28 August 2002.
The name refers to the merchant guests (gosti) whose patron saint was Nicholas; the church was their patronal shrine. Its liturgy began at five in the morning, an hour before other Kolomna churches, so the merchants could attend before opening their stalls. The first liturgy after the Soviet closure was served on 28 August 2002, the feast of the Dormition.
The church is located within the Kremlin grounds and is easily accessible on foot. Keep in mind that appropriate dress is expected during religious services, and opening times may vary depending on scheduled ceremonies.
The church kept a 1509 altar Gospel commissioned by priest Pyotr Nikolsky; it is now held in the Manuscript Department of the Russian National Library in Saint Petersburg. The building also housed a sports school until 2002, and the first liturgy after reopening was served on 28 August 2002.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,303 contributors worldwide.