In the historic centre of Alatyr, on the high Bank of the Sura river is the oldest temple of the city - the Church of the beheading of John the Baptist, built in 1703.

History has not preserved the date of the Foundation of the temple (presumably, 1552 - during the construction of the fortress city Alatyr), but in 1703 stone structure replaced the dilapidated wooden Church. In the first half of the nineteenth century the Western façade of the five-domed Church was built porch with a four-columned portico. The overall decor of the building was designed in the Baroque style.

The service at the Church lasted until 1929, after which the building was nationalized and placed under the base of the regional consumer Union. In the mid-twentieth century historic building preserved colourful five domes, due to the lack of basic repairs start to crumble brick by brick. In 1969 on the initiative of Alatyr local historians and the all-Russian society for protection of monuments of culture and history of restoration works were started, which lasted about ten years. In 1976 the building of the Cathedral acquired its present architectural appearance and was transferred to the Museum. In 1999, historic building return to the Church and since February 2002 in the Cathedral resumed service.

In our day Baptist Church is a monument of history and culture of Federal value and one of the oldest religious buildings of Chuvashia. The main Shrine of the temple is the old icon of St. John the Baptist, donated by Metropolitan Barnabas.

In the same area with the Baptist Church is the Cathedral of the Nativity of the blessed virgin Mary, built in 1770. Completes the architectural appearance of the square of the October Revolution (formerly Marketplace) Nikolo-Znamensky temple 1779 buildings.