Born from a humble refugee chapel and the legend of a buried icon, the Almaschka Church rose to defy the city’s doubts, built in a feat of devotion that saw a new sanctuary raised around the old before its walls were carried out through the great west door. Across three centuries it has withstood bombardment, war, and the shifting tides of empire, its gilded iconostasis and scarred tower standing as both a monument to the pride of the Almaschani and the unbroken heart of Podbara.