Seven Sleepers Church, Orthodox church in Zavalnoye cemetery, Tobolsk, Russia.
Seven Sleepers Church is a stone Orthodox church on Zavalnoye cemetery in Tobolsk, built in 1775–1776 and consecrated by Archbishop Varlaam on 4 August 1776, the feast day of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus. A bell tower ordered in 1800 and finished in 1810 stands beside it, and a north-side chapel for Innocent of Irkutsk and Seraphim of Sarov was added in 1909–1910.
A wooden church stood on Zavalnoye cemetery after 1758; the stone church was begun in 1772 with money from governor Denis Chicherin and built under geodesy sergeant Andrei Abarin, consecrated on 4 August 1776 by archbishop Varlaam. A bell tower followed in 1800–1810, and a north chapel was added in 1909–1910. In 1937 archbishop Artemij and the clergy were executed and buried in a common grave beside the church.
The name comes from an old Christian story about seven young soldiers from Ephesus who slept for two centuries while avoiding religious persecution. This legend shows what spiritual traditions mattered to the people who built and used this place.
The church sits within the cemetery grounds and is accessible during normal cemetery visiting hours. The location in Zavalnoye makes it easy for visitors to walk around and see nearby graves and monuments at their own pace.
The building holds federal cultural heritage status and preserves craftwork from provincial Siberian artisan traditions of the 18th century. This craft quality shows how skilled work was valued and maintained even in remote Siberian territories.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,161 contributors worldwide.