The Russian Orthodox Church has formally requested the Smolny, which is the St. Petersburg city administration, to transfer the building of the Church of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God, situated within the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, for free use over a period of 100 years. The request, articulated in a document signed by Metropolitan Varsonofy of St. Petersburg and Ladoga, specifies that the church is needed by the Russian Orthodox Church “for use in accordance with the goals of the diocese, as defined by its charter.”

Currently, the Tikhvin Church is managed by the Museum of Urban Sculpture. The location is historically significant as it houses approximately 200 tombstones of celebrated creative individuals.

Among those interred at the former Tikhvin Cemetery, also known as the Necropolis of Masters of Arts, are composers Glinka, Mussorgsky, and Tchaikovsky, along with writers Krylov and Dostoevsky, and artists Shishkin and Kustodiev.

Founded in 1869 and consecrated in 1873, the Tikhvin Church was constructed in the Russian-Byzantine style. The project was designed by N. P. Grebenka and financed by brothers D. M. and N. M. Polezhaev.

Notably, in 2023, the city authorities transferred the Annunciation tomb of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra to the Russian Orthodox Church, which was formerly occupied by the Museum of Urban Sculpture.