Archangel’s wooden church was built in Yelets between the 16th and 17th centuries. The church was situated in Red Square.

The stone church was built in its present place in 1778 and its side-altar of Archangel Michael became the main altar of the new church.

After several reconstructions the temple acquired its present-day appearance: it is a five-cupola, four-pillar church, it has one light cupola and four false ones made of planks and trimmed with metal. All the three façades have the same form, with the only difference being that the eastern wall is slightly wider than the southern and northern ones. The monument is striking because of the combination of different times structures, which the 19th century architects successfully united into a common architectural composition. The altar part of the church is built in Russian-Byzantine style and the bell-tower of the Archangel’s church is built in the style of early classicism.

I.A. Bunin expressively depicted the majestic beauty of the Archangel’s church in Yelets. The church was closed around 1930. It was used as a storehouse until in 1993 it was passed to the Ascension Cathedral.

GPS: 52.621263, 38.502085