In the former Balakhna district stands an ancient church dedicated to the Transfiguration of the Lord. This architectural monument of the 18th-19th centuries is the main shrine of the village of Sitskoe, which is now part of the Chkalovsky district of the Nizhny Novgorod region.

In 2011, it marked 180 years since the completion of the church's construction in 1831. Its foundation was laid in 1789 during the reign of Catherine II. The stone church was built over 42 years solely from donations from peasants of forty-two surrounding villages. Because of this, the Church of the Transfiguration became a true adornment: it towered over the village and dominated the entire area.

In 1937, after the arrest of all clergy, the church in the village of Sitskoe was closed and looted. The bells were thrown from the bell tower, and bricks from the foundation of the fence were used to build a farm. The church was turned into a warehouse, but some icons were preserved by local residents.

In the first year of the Great Patriotic War, 120 soldiers were housed in the church, who dug defensive trenches in case of a German advance.

After that, the Church of the Transfiguration was forgotten until 1989, when it marked 200 years since its foundation. Thanks to the efforts of local residents, who organized a parish community and collected donations, the church began to be restored. The bell tower and refectory were restored, and the preserved icons were returned. The first service in 1989 in the revived Spaso-Transfiguration Church was conducted by Metropolitan Nikolai Kutepov of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas.

Since August 1997, the rector of the church has been Priest Alexander Yakimov. Father Alexander graduated from the Moscow Spiritual Seminary, served as a psalmist for 18 years in the village of Ilya-Vysokovo of the Ivanovo diocese, and was ordained a priest in 1996.

With his appointment, the restoration of the church received a new impetus: the restoration of the summer church began, the walls were whitewashed inside and out, and a seven-tiered iconostasis was restored, for which 35 icons were painted. Masters from Palekh created icons for the first two tiers, while Chkalovsky artist Vladimir Vinogradov painted the upper ones. Craftsmen from Zavolzhye made the carved Royal Doors for the altar, where a new tiled floor was also laid.