Kursk's catholic church, which is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was built between 1892 and 1896 using the funds of the city's relatively small Catholic community who had been petitioning for permission to build a church since the mid-19th century. The famous artist Kazimir Malevich was married in this church as he was living in Kursk at the time. The church was closed in 1938 and since 1970 was used as a House of Culture. It was only returned to the Catholic Church in 1997.