Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral
The Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral is an Orthodox church that was built at the time of the city's foundation in the early 1680s. The five-domed cathedral, with a cross-shaped plan, was consecrated in 1684 and in 1751 it was renewed after repairs. From 1846 to 1866, the church was enlarged by adding a vestibule and a bell tower on the west side. In 1902-03 the building was rebuilt according to the design of the engineer M.I.Lovtsov: the pear-shaped domes were replaced by onion-shaped domes and corbelled arches were placed above the vaults. In the 1930s the church was closed and at the beginning of the Second World War the cathedral was looted and used as a warehouse. In the autumn of 1941, the Soviet army blew up the bell tower and the narthex during its retreat. In 1953-55, the cathedral was rebuilt in large moulded bricks, as it was, according to the restorers, before the renovations in the early 20th century.
