the Church of Saints Florus and Laurus
One of the most breathtaking churches in Kursk had been adorned the crossroads of Radischeva (Florovskaya) and Marata (Gostinnaya) streets from 1779 to 1935. The architecture style was a marriage of baroque and classics. It had the five-tier bell tower and, therefore, the tallest church in the city.1
During the infancy of the brick church, the square near it was erected called Torg (or, a market place). The square was spacious and provided a panoramic view on a dozen of city churches. All of them were wooden and Sretenskaya-Florovskaya church was the only made of brick and stone (besides the Znamensky cathedral).
The church appeared there with agenerous donation of the local merchants and the given name wasn’t spontaneous. Saints Florus and Laurus were the patrons of animals, horses especially. In front of the church, where the main post office is located now, the horse fair was held annually and popular across the Central Russia.
The Church of Saints Florus and Laurus2 served until 1935. Here the funeral of astronomer Semyonov took place in April 1860. the future artist Vyacheslav Schwartz was baptized.
In August 1935, the Soviet goverment decided to close the church. It was possible to preserve the church for the city needs… but they blew it up instead. On the 15th of September it was over.
After the Nazi occupation, the place served as a poultry market. Now it is the flat building with two pharmacies, one is for our lovely pets.3
P.S. There is a legend about dungeouns, — the collectors have a sketch as the only evidence.