Stroganov Church

The Stroganov Church (Church of the Nativity) is the finest baroque church in Nizhny Novgorod and one of the most ornate in Russia. Built between 1697 and 1719 at the expense of Grigory Stroganov, the church is covered in a dense tracery of white stone carving against red walls — elaborate arches, pilasters, kokoshniki, and decorative window surrounds that make the facade look almost encrusted. It stands at the foot of Rozhdestvenskaya Street, where the slope meets the Lower Town.

The interior was restored in the Soviet era and contains 18th-century frescoes. Services are held regularly. The church is particularly striking in winter when snow sets off the white stone decoration against the red walls. It is worth walking around to see all four sides, as each facade is differently decorated.

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A story
The Stroganov family were the wealthiest merchants in 17th-century Russia — their fortune came from salt production in the Urals, and they bankrolled much of Russia's eastward expansion into Siberia. The church they built here in 1703 is sometimes called "Stroganov Baroque" — a style so recognisably lavish that it was named after them. The building was reportedly constructed against the explicit orders of Peter the Great, who had banned such private church construction. The family simply ignored the tsar and built it anyway.