Archaeologists will start excavations inside the oldest Christian temple not only in Ingushetia, but also in the mountains of Russia. They want to find a more ancient monument, which was previously recorded by a Russian historian.

Inside the oldest Christian temple in Russia, Thaba Yerda (Ingushetia), excavations will begin to find an older structure. The start of work is scheduled for 2025, said the head of the Committee of state protection of cultural heritage sites of the Republic Timirlan Kodzoev in a conversation with journalists.

We have developed a project, we want to install temporary structures in the form of a dome in order to conduct archaeological work inside the Christian temple, this is the most important thing. Inside the building, such studies have never been conducted. They will begin in the spring after the monument is properly reinforced. - Timirlan Kodzoev

He reported that the eminent Russian historian Vsevolod Miller once recorded that the temple has ancient steps and other structures that are now not accessible to the eye. His testimony suggests that the temple is multi-level.

“That is, it turns out that on the shoulders of the old temple of Taba-Yerda there is a modern one, which we see” – Timirlan Kodzoev

He also noted that during the first stage of research, a burial ground and a couple of ancient settlements were found near the temple.