Church of the Nativity of Christ, Eastern Orthodox church in Ryazan, Russia.

The Church of the Nativity of Christ is an Orthodox church building in Ryazan constructed from brick with eclectic architectural features blending different styles. The structure displays varied design elements throughout its exterior, from decorative patterns to the arrangement of walls and rooflines that create visual interest.

Begun at the end of the 14th century under Grand Prince Oleg of Ryazan and consecrated as the Dormition Cathedral, it became the episcopal see in 1522 when the chair moved from Borisov-Glebov. Renamed the Church of the Nativity of Christ in 1753 after a new Dormition Cathedral was built, it was rebuilt in late classicism by L. I. Stefenhagen in 1826 and in eclectic forms by Zvenov in 1873. Closed in 1930 and used as a regional archive, it was returned to the Church in 2002 and reconsecrated by Patriarch Alexy II.

The cathedral keeps the relics of Saint Basil, a 13th-century bishop of Ryazan, beneath the floor since 1609, with a shrine holding a particle of his relics above. It also holds the relics of the 19th-century bishops Gabriel and Meletius, a portion of the Robe of the Lord, and particles of Saint Seraphim of Sarov and Blessed Matrona of Moscow.

The cathedral stands inside the Ryazan Kremlin, a short walk from the Assumption Cathedral; the two share the same walled complex. The building was returned to the Church in 2002 and is used for worship again, so access follows the Kremlin's opening arrangements. Look down at the floor: the metlakh tiles laid during the 1913 renovation are still in place.

Inside the altar area, below floor level, fragments of the white-stone apses of the original 14th-century Dormition Cathedral survive. Long thought to be part of the present walls, they were revealed during restoration led by E. G. Odinets after the building was returned to the Church in 2002.