Archpriest Viktor Matveev, rector of the Tula Church of the Nativity of Christ (Nikolo-Zaretsky), spoke about the large-scale restoration work of the architectural ensemble, which will take about two years.
The two-storey stone church in the name of the Nativity of Christ was built in Armory Sloboda from 1729 to 1735 at the expense of Akinfiy Nikitich Demidov, the son of the founder of the legendary dynasty. On the lower floor there were altars in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and St. Andrew the First–Called, and on the upper floor - in honor of the Nativity of Christ.
In 1770-1780, the building, built in the Peter the Great Baroque style, was repaired and rebuilt. On May 2, 1779, a severe fire broke out in Zarechye, the roof, the upper temple and the gallery of the Nikolo-Zaretsky temple were damaged. The restoration took many years. Donations were made by metalworkers, patrons Ivan and Andrey Batashev, gunsmiths Lyalin, Korotkov, merchants Zverev and Belousov. By 1803, the entire church with the porch was painted. In 1862, a new iconostasis was erected in the upper church. In 1914, a wrought-iron fence was erected on a white stone base.
In 1934, the Nikolo-Zaretsky church was closed. Over the years, it housed a granary, a training center, and a warehouse.
In 1999, the church was transferred to the Tula diocese. The roof was repaired at the expense of parishioners and benefactors. In 2004, the bells were installed on the belfry. The lower temple has been restored and has three altars. In 2021, the rector of the temple, Archpriest Viktor Matveev, made the fence, which was lost in the twentieth century. In 2023, he forged and installed the doors of the main entrance and the decorative opening of the lower temple, as well as the door with the coat of arms of the Demidovs in the outer wall of the upper temple. In 2025, Father Victor almost completely restored the historic floor of the second floor.
And now, in 2026, large-scale restoration works are being carried out at the Nikolo-Zaretsky temple at the expense of a benefactor.
Archpriest Viktor Matveev, rector of the Church of the Nativity of Christ (Nikolo-Zaretsky), noted that the work of the Tula do-gooder on the restoration of the cultural heritage site is truly colossal: "The benefactor, at whose expense the restoration is being carried out, asked not to be named, because he acts according to the word of Holy Scripture: "Your Father, who sees the secret, will reward you openly." (Matthew 6:6).
Dobrokhot saw a video on the Internet where I was cutting out the floor for the second floor of the temple, and decided to take part in a good cause with my colleagues. The philanthropist spoke with representatives of the Tula Region Inspectorate for the State Protection of Cultural Heritage Sites, ordered and approved the project. Everything happened very quickly.
Since May, work has been carried out simultaneously on the temple and the bell tower, but if the restoration of the bell tower is planned to be completed this year, then the temple will be completed only in 2027, because according to the restoration program it takes 2 years.
The whole process is controlled by the benefactor and his team. As far as I can tell, the work is being carried out very efficiently. First, the craftsmen cleaned the surface with metal brushes, then polished it with diamond circles to stone and brick, washed it, soaked it with deep penetration soil, and now they are restoring the plaster layer. The walls have already been painted, which corresponds to the project: the color of the temple will be the usual white-pistachio.
I am very glad that the work is being carried out during my lifetime, because I have dreamed about it for a long time. The temple was in a sad state from the outside for many years, although it is beautiful and majestic inside. I think the Lord has heard our prayers, and soon we will see the renovated and majestic Nikolo-Zaretsky Church."
Olesya Feofilova, photo by the author