St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, Shanghai

The Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church served as the primary place of worship for the Russian community in Shanghai, comprised of refugees who had escaped from Vladivostok during the interwar period. This community thrived between the two World Wars. Presently, there is a revival of religious activities, and services are conducted in the upper part of the church building.

The Russian population in Shanghai primarily consisted of individuals who had fled their homeland following the Bolshevik Revolution. They established a small community known as "Little Russia" within the city. The Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church was constructed by these exiles in the former French Concession, originally known as Rue Corneille and later renamed Gaolan Lu. The architectural design of the church featured the distinctive onion-shaped domes commonly found in Russian Orthodox churches. General Glebov, a notable Russian exile, spearheaded the effort to construct this church for the Russian refugees. It was consecrated in 1937 and dedicated to Saint Nicholas as well as the deposed Tsar Nicholas II.

Following the Chinese Civil War, when many Europeans left Shanghai, the church ceased its religious activities and endured damage during the Cultural Revolution when it was ransacked. Subsequently, the building underwent various transformations, serving as a washing machine factory and later as a laundry facility. In 1994, the Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church received recognition as a cultural relic at the city level. The upper floor of the church was leased by the government to a French restaurant named Ashanti, while the lower floor now houses a Spanish restaurant.

Notably, during the 2010 Shanghai Expo, the loft area of the church was re-consecrated, and since May 2010, weekly divine services have been held for visiting Russian Orthodox worshippers.