The Church of the Ascension of the Lord on Ilyinka is a 19th-century Orthodox church located in the historic district of Zapochainye on Ilyinskaya Street in Nizhny Novgorod.

Nizhny Novgorod, situated at the crossroads of busy trade routes from Moscow, Vladimir, and Murom to the Lower Volga, from Arzamas to Balakhna and Yaroslavl, and from Kazan and Siberia to central Russia, had a developed system of postal services. In the 16th and 17th centuries, postal settlements were located in the Zapochainye area along Ilyinskaya Street, occupying vast territories. Here, couriers built yards with gardens, orchards, and pastures for horses.

The couriers, who transported state cargo and people, enjoyed privileges: they did not pay taxes, were not subject to local authorities, and could only be tried in Moscow twice a year. They were allowed to engage in crafts, transport goods on their carts, and brew beer for personal consumption. In the 16th century, there were only 50 couriers in the city, but by the mid-17th century, their number had increased to 320, and the number of yards reached 138.

In the center of the postal settlements stood a wooden church, mentioned in sources from 1621 and 1622 as the Church of the Ascension of Christ. In the mid-17th century, the church was rebuilt, and in honor of this, the priest ordered an altar cross. Patriarch Adrian patronized the church and in 1694 gifted it a decorated cross and a Gospel.

In the early 18th century, the church burned down twice, but after the second fire, it was restored in stone. The founder became the treasurer of Patriarch Adrian, Tikhon. The new church was typical for Nizhny Novgorod of that time, with a single dome and a tent-like bell tower. Inside, there were frescoes and icons painted by local masters.

Despite the presence of the icon of the Mother of God, the Burning Bush, the church burned again but was restored in 1748. By the mid-19th century, the church had fallen into disrepair, and its appearance did not match the city's status. Wealthy merchants, descendants of the couriers, invested in the construction of a new church.

In 1866, a site for the new church was approved, and in the same year, Bishop Nektary laid the first stone. By 1872, the church was built, but work continued until 1877. During the Soviet era, the church was closed, and its building housed warehouses and a library. In 2003, services resumed, restoration began, and in 2005, the bell tower was restored.