One of the prettiest churches in Ivanovo is the St Elijah the Prophet Church which was built between 1838 and 1842. The church was built in the classical style and is rather unusual in form. On top of the main part of the building there is a tall rotund topped with a dome on which five smaller domes stand. Columns also decorate the façade of the building. During the Soviet years the church was closed and used as an archive. It was only reopened in 1989.