In October 2026, the government of Nizhny Novgorod Region established protection zones around the Old Believer (Austrian) Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in the selo of Bezvodnoye in Kstovsky District — a cultural heritage site of regional significance. The resolution was published on the official legal acts portal of Nizhny Novgorod Region.[1][2]

History of the church

The church on Klubnaya Street was built in the second half of the 19th century. The building originally had a dome and a bell tower, but over time they were lost. The Old Believer community was officially registered in 1906. The church is tied to the biography of the future Saint Arseny (born Anisim Shvetsov): he lived and served for many years in Bezvodnoye, and it was here that he was consecrated Bishop of Ural and Orenburg. A hectograph print shop operated at the church, producing liturgical and apologetic books for Old Believer parishes.[2]

In the 1930s, the community lost the building. The church was returned to believers only in the 2000s, after which extensive work was carried out to reinforce and restore it: the domes were restored and the bell tower was reconstructed.[2]

Contents of the resolution

The area of the protection zone around the church came to about 4,064 square meters.[1] Restrictions have been introduced on the adjacent territories on construction, the reconstruction of buildings, and the placement of advertising structures; requirements have been set for the external appearance of buildings, the materials used, and the placement of engineering equipment.[2] In one of the zones, new capital construction is prohibited except in cases explicitly provided for by the resolution. In the other zones, the height and number of floors of buildings are regulated: in one, the height is limited to nine meters to the cornice with no more than three floors (including an attic floor), in another, to seven meters to the ridge of a pitched roof with two floors.[2]

In addition, a protected landscape zone has been designated, where any actions capable of harming the natural or historical environment are prohibited, including certain types of agricultural activity and the destruction of valuable green plantings.[1][2]

Sources

  1. V gorode N — Protection zones established around an Old Believer church in Kstovsky District
  2. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" — Protection zones established near an Old Believer church in Bezvodnoye. Nizhny Novgorod News