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Date of construction: 1721
Date of consecration: 8 September 1721
In 1721, in the year of the ending of the Northern War, in Tallinn, an associate of Peter I, Colonel Shakhovskoy, built a wooden church. The church was consecrated in commemoration of the Nativity of the Mother of God on September 8. The copy of the revered Kazan icon of the Mother of God and an ancient regimental copper set of two icons with the same image were taken from St.-Petersburg to the church and so the church is often called the Kazan church.
Firstly, the Kazan church was a regimental church of the 21st and 3rd chasseur regiments and also of the 91st Dvina infantry regiment. The walls of the church were decorated with icons belonging to different companies. These icons accompanied soldiers in their war campaigns. On memorial plaques there are names of warriors-parishioners who gave their lives on fields of battles during the Turkish military campaign, Patriotic War of 1812 and Japanese War.
The church is square and has typical baroque design and appearance. In the silhouette of the church the important role belongs to a stocky dome-shaped roof based on an octahedral drum head and the harmonious bell tower, which has an interesting feature — it is built on «the floating base». The classical ornament of the facade dates to the first half of the XIXth century. The iconostas was made by artist Savva Postemsky.
In 1918 German occupational authorities wanted to close the church and turn it into a warehouse, but parishioners managed to defend the church. In 1920, because of the abolition of military churches, the church became a parish church. Till 1972 the church stood in a big fenced garden with two gates and chapels of the Savior, but when a new street was laid a lot of this was demolished and only recently it was partly restored.
For a long time Archpriest Michail Ridiger (Father of Patriarch Alexy II) was the rector of the church. The parishioners loved him very much. Vyacheslav Jakobs (Metropolitan Cornelius) served here in his youth. He helped in the altar, was an acolyte and later a deacon of this church.
Address: Liivalaia 38, 10145 Tallinn