The Dukhivskaya church, formerly known as the Uniate Church of the Exaltation of the Cross, is located in the city of Gorodets in the Nizhny Novgorod region and was built in 1859 according to the design of architect Umuzhetsky-Gritsevich from Nizhny Novgorod. The temple is executed in the 'Russian-Byzantine' style, which was popular at the time. The architecture includes elements of ancient Russian architecture of the 17th century, such as onion domes, a multi-pitched roof, and a tent-like bell tower, interpreted in the spirit of classicism. The composition of the building includes a five-domed completion of the main volume with a central light drum and a three-tiered tent-like bell tower. The walls of the prayer hall were finished with keel-shaped zakomaras, above which was a four-pitched roof.

The facade of the main volume had a two-tiered composition, divided by pilasters. The window openings were elongated and alternated with blind niches in the refectory part and a triple composition in the prayer hall. The walls were decorated with numerous pilasters, strips with arched window finishes, and protruding cornices. The decor was rich and included architectural details made of lime plaster on exposed brickwork. The layout of the temple was designed in the shape of a 'ship' with a sequential arrangement along one axis of the bell tower, refectory, and prayer hall in a rectangle of 34x13 m, with a protruding five-sided altar and a small narthex. On either side of the bell tower were two rooms, one of which contained a staircase to the upper tier. The refectory was covered with a cylindrical vault, while the prayer hall had a two-light space with a vaulted ceiling and a light drum.

After the church was closed in the mid-1930s, the building was used as a warehouse, a city bathhouse, a sports club, a sobering-up station, and a ritual services combine. The temple lost its onion domes and the upper tiers of the bell tower. Inside, a longitudinal wall was erected, and a ceiling was constructed using the Monier vault system, creating a second floor. A basement was dug in the refectory part, also covered with Monier vaults. Some window openings were partially bricked up, while others were dismantled to create doors. The altar part was destroyed to accommodate a garage.

In June 2007, the building of the church was returned to the Nizhny Novgorod diocese.