Before the revolution, Penza impressed with its many churches, each settlement had its own parish church. On the island of Peski stood the Kazan Church, located almost at the left bank. Its construction began in the early 18th century, when there were only a few small yards on the island. The wooden church, dedicated to the icon of the Kazan Mother of God, opened its doors to the first parishioners in the summer of 1705. However, the small one-story temple did not last long. During a severe fire that engulfed the island, the flames approached the church closely, and the wooden building ignited like a Swedish match. People rang the alarm, sounded the bells, peasants fetched water from the Sura and rushed to the church with buckets, but it could not be saved. At night, the pale moonlight illuminated the already charred icons, which the fire had turned to ash. "It's okay, we will build a new church," the residents of Peski consoled themselves. The construction of the new temple took almost 20 years, and soon a white-stone bell tower appeared on the island, reaching its dome into the deep blue sky. In 1750, the church was expanded by adding two new chapels, increasing its capacity to 200 people. The beauty of the church is evidenced by the fact that it was noted in the guides of that time as a Penza landmark. During the Soviet period, the church housed a warehouse for Soyuzkhleb, and then it was completely demolished.