Makarievskiy Monastery is situated on the left shore of the river Volga, 100 km from Nizhniy Novgorod. The Monastery was founded in 1435 by Saint monk Makariy, a native of Nizhniy Novgorod. But it was destroyed in 1439 by the Tatars. It was reconstructed only in 1620 and that year a huge Makarievskaya fair appeared near its walls. In 1817 the fair was removed to Nizhniy Novgorod. The ensemble of the Monastery is splendid even today. The centre of the Monastery ensemble is Troitskiy Cathedral was built in 1658. This is a five-headed six column temple. The main building of the Monastery looked like Spasskiy Cathedral in the Kremlin of Nizhniy Novgorod (1652). Uspenskaya Church and monastic refectory of the Makarievskiy Monastery, built in 1651 is a vast two-stored building. The first floor had a household meaning, and it used to be a stock of goods in the times when the fair took place. Makarievskaya Church (1808), was built in the style of classicism. Walls and towers made of white stone (1662 - 1667) are a bright sample of Old Russian defence architecture. On the four corners of the Monastery, there were round towers. From the sight of the river, there was the main entrance — Saint Gate with the Church of Archangel Michael above.