St. Nicholas Orphanage, Catholic orphanage in Novosibirsk, Russia

St. Nicholas Orphanage was the only Catholic orphanage in Siberia and the only non-state orphanage in the region. It housed up to 50 boys and girls aged 3 to 17 and employed 37 people, including six sisters of the Sisters of Saint Elizabeth.

St. Nicholas Orphanage opened in Novosibirsk in 1996, founded by the Caritas charity with funding from several international institutions. It was the only Catholic orphanage in Siberia and the only non-state orphanage in that region of Russia. It closed in 2015 because the number of orphans in Novosibirsk had generally decreased.

The orphanage's theater studio won the Grand Prix at the VII International Children's Theatre Festival in Moscow, along with other awards. It was also among the few Russian orphanages to run a regular program for foreign student volunteers.

The building is located in Novosibirsk and provided a structured residential environment with daily routines for its inhabitants. Since the facility no longer operates, visitors should note that access may be limited, though the building itself can still be viewed from outside.

St. Nicholas was the first orphanage in Russia to support children's biological families, and it also ran one of the country's leading programs for orphanage graduates. Its theater studio won the Grand Prix at the VII International Children's Theatre Festival in Moscow.