The small Archangel cathedral is behind the giant Assumption cathedral. It is one of the oldest churches of the Ryazan Kremlin. It was built in 15 century.
The Nativity cathedral was built before the Archangel cathedral. However it was completely rebuilt but for a small masonry dating back to 15 century. As for the Archangel cathedral, although the church was damaged during the fire of 1647, it almost completely preserved its original appearance.
The Archangel cathedral was the grand prince family chapel and the burial vault of Ryazan bishops. Totally, there are 22 burials at the cathedral, including that of Stefan Yavorsky, famous religious figure of 18 century. Yavorsky was a close collaborator of Peter I in the first years of his reign. In 1700 he was appointed the metropolitan of Ryazan and Murom. But already next year, after the death of patriarch Adrian, he was appointed exarch (a kind of acting patriarch). Stefan Yavorsky had to hold this office to the election of a new patriarch. But Peter I carried out a church reform abolishing patriarchate. And so Yavorsky remained exarch to 1721, up to the moment when the Most Holy Synod was created, although since 1712 he was in disgrace because of the case of tsarevich Alexey. After the creation of Synod he was appointed the president of this religious institution. Stefan Yavorsky died in 1722.
Today religious services are not held at the Archangel cathedral. Museum collections of the Old Russian art are stored at the cathedral.
