On October 30, 2026, project documentation for the reconstruction of Alekseevskaya Chapel — a religious structure lost in 1927 that stood at the southern end of Kanavinsky Bridge, in close proximity to Blagoveschensky Monastery — was posted on the website of the regional agency for the protection of cultural heritage sites.[1][2] The initiator of the project's development was the Nizhny Novgorod Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church.[2]

History of the chapel

According to tradition, the chapel was founded by Metropolitan Alexis in the second half of the 14th century and stood outside the walls of the Blagoveschensky Monastery. The exact date of construction of the wooden building remains a matter of debate among historians.[1] In the 1720s a stone chapel in the Byzantine style was built on this site.[2] By the 19th century the structure had fallen into disrepair, and in 1847 it was rebuilt to a design by the architect Kizevetter, funded by the merchant Ivan Verenikov.[1] The new chapel was an octagonal stone building with a tented roof in the Eclectic style, decorated with ogee-shaped kokoshniks and round glazed dormer windows.[2] The dome was clad in smooth white sheet iron and crowned with a gilded cross; inside were an iconostasis and a font with two openings for running spring water.[2] In June 1927 the chapel was demolished.[2]

The reconstruction project

The design documentation was prepared by RITs LLC.[2][3] According to the project, the new building will be placed on the territory of the former Blagoveshchenskaya Sloboda — slightly south of the chapel's historical location, between Chernigovskaya Street and the Pokhvalinsky Descent, about 100 meters from the northeastern fence of the Annunciation Monastery.[2] Pedestrian paths, a storm sewer, and an adit run through the site.[1] The chapel will be rebuilt in its historical dimensions and architectural appearance; its area will be 19.25 sq. m. The plans also provide for paving, a stairway descent, benches, and street lamps.[1][3]

Archaeological Risks

The construction site lies within the boundaries of the federal-level archaeological heritage site "Cultural Layer of the City" of the 13th–17th centuries.[2] The section on the preservation of the cultural heritage site was prepared by the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences; the documentation has passed the state historical and cultural expert review.[1] Expert Alexander Novikov stated that the upcoming earthworks pose a risk to the cultural layer and recommended organizing archaeological monitoring during construction. In his assessment, given the technogenic disturbance of the site and the presence of the adit, the chosen format of monitoring is optimal and well founded.[2]

Sources

  1. Newsroom24 — Nizhny Novgorod Wants to Rebuild the Alekseevskaya Chapel by the Kanavinsky Bridge — Culture
  2. GIPERNN — There Are Plans to Rebuild the Alekseevskaya Chapel on the Chernigovskaya Embankment
  3. Govorit Nizhny — There Are Plans to Build the Alekseevskaya Chapel in Nizhny Novgorod