The church in 1883.

The church in 2005.

Church of St. Nicholas in Khamovniki (Russian: Церковь Николая в Хамовниках) is a brightly coloured church in Moscow constructed in 1679-82 by the local community of weavers. Located near the Frunzenskaya quay, it is one of the most delightful examples of 17th-century parish church to survive the ravages of Communist atheism. Its most illustrious parishioner was the novelist Leo Tolstoy, who lived nearby and mentioned the church in his novels. For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ... Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (Russian: , Lev Nikolaevič Tolstoj), commonly referred to in English as Leo Tolstoy, September 9 [O.S. August 28] 1828 – November 20 [O.S. November 7] 1910) was a Russian novelist, philosopher, Christian anarchist, pacifist, educational reformer, vegetarian, moral thinker and an influential member of the Tolstoy...