Kuressaare Püha Nikolai kirik (Kuressaare) | church, place with historical importance, orthodox christianity, interesting place, listed building / architectural heritage, 1790s construction, place of worship, 18th century construction, tourist attraction, Orthodox church, Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church (EOC)

 church, place with historical importance, orthodox christianity, interesting place, listed building / architectural heritage, 1790s construction, place of worship, 18th century construction, tourist attraction, Orthodox church, Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church (EOC)

In February 1784, the deputy governor of Saaremaa (1783–1797) Balthasar von Campenhausen (1745–1800) announced the decision of Empress Catherine II to build a new stone church in the town of Arensburg on Saaremaa with a population of 1,205. In 1785, 11,600 rubles were allocated for the construction of the church. The necessary drawings were prepared by Mattias Schons, the architect of the Livonian governorate. The new stone church of St. Nicholas in Arensburg was consecrated on September 22, 1790 (according to the old calendar) by the Archbishop of Pskov and Riga, Innokenty. Due to the position of the plot, the three-nave limestone church in the late classicist style has its main entrance facing the courtyard. The end wall on the altar side faces the main street of the city. The restoration work that began in the first decade of the 21st century to preserve the sanctuary was extensive; work on such a scale had not been done at once since the church was built. In 2007–2008, the bell tower's spire was restored, and in 2008–2009, the entire tambour tower, the brick part of which was partially redone. In 2012, the roofs of the parish hall and altar room were restored, a new copper roof covering, new rainwater systems and lightning protection were installed. In 2013, the facade and shutters of the bell tower were restored, in 2014 all windows[1] were restored, in 2015 the interior doors, and in 2016 the chairs in the parish hall. The roof crosses of the Kuressaare St. Nicholas Church were gilded and trees that threatened the preservation of the architectural monument were removed.