Some 62 miles to the west of the Urals, in the federal district of the Volga, lies the city of Ufa, capital of the Russian republic of Bashkortostan. The largest Russian Orthodox church in the city is around 100 years old and capable of accommodating congregations of up to 1,500 worshippers. The building has a storied history, having functioned, variously, as a prison, an aircraft workshop, and a cinema in the course of the communist period.