Gutseriev chose the Protection of the Holy Mary Church for reconstruction.

Such a gift from Gutseriev is extremely valuable. Not only in the terms of money. It gave people an optimistic feeling that it is still possible to preserve the ancient Sarapul, this unique pearl of  the Kama region and not to depersonalize it by
European-style remodeling. Gutseriev, an outstanding Russian businessman, did not try to hide his emotions. When he had seen  a model of the Church in its original design and heard the commentaries of the President of Udmurtia Nikolai Volkov, who knew the story of the temple, he exclaimed:” Just imagine, what a church we shall build in this city!”
In fact, the president and Mr. Gutseriev saw just ruins of the church: it has not been used as a religious building for already 80 years; under the Soviets it was used as a bakery. Time, climate and people have taken their toll. The dome is missing, the porches are dismounted.  The building inside is empty. And this emptiness can be seen through the gaping windows.
As recently as two years ago the unique frescos having no analogues in the region were still  more or less presentable. The author is unknown, but the manner is typical for the Kama region and the subjects are most interesting. They are of great spiritual value and cultural meaning and attract the attention of art historians. But vandals remove the frescos layer by layer. Some fire the saints in the faces – one can see potholes left by bullet.
It is worth saying that there were made some attempts to save the church, starting from the 90ths. But, alas, unsuccessful. Compassionate old women would sacrifice 10 or 100 rubles – as much as they could afford, they were closer to paradise in heaven than to paradise on earth.  And their bits would bring one more piece of iron, one more piece of roofing. Once on the City Day clerics of the local churches came to the Temple Square (in the past it was called the  Red Square) which is quite usual for Europe, for example, for the people of Sarapul could make their contribution in reconstruction of the church. Some people were glad to help but others were indignant to see men in hassocks asking alms. Some companies also rendered help. The roof was repaired, some materials were stored but very soon everything was stolen   - the street where the church is situated was known as criminogenic.
The church is still recognizable. But one can’t say the same about the cathedral situated opposite. Nobody would believe that some time ago it was a gorgeous Peter and Paul Cathedral, four tiers with columns. Now it is just a box without doors or windows. The bell tower is dismounted.
The second life of the Protection of the Holy Mary Church will be now connected with two names: Aleksandr Volkov and Mikail Gutseriev. The church is included in the President’s program “Development”. When in August, 2007 Mr. Gutseriev was decorated with the orthodox Order of Saint Daniel of Moscow for his contribution in reconstruction of Sent Michael Cathedral in Izhevsk he expressed readiness to help reconstruct one more church in Udmurtia. Out of the seven churches offered he chose the Protection of the Holy Mary Church in Sarapul. Having visited the city on the Kama last week and looked at the desolate church he repeated: funds will be assigned! “Mikail Safarbekovich is a man to be trusted”, said the archpriest Victor Kostenkov, deputy prior of Sent Michael Cathedral, head of social service, compassion and charity department of Izhevsk-Udmurt bishopric.  “This is not the first object where we meet. This is a man of the word, and if he promised the church will be reconstructed in two years, so it will. And I’m sure, if the Church of Protection is  reconstructed, so will the bell tower.” 

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FROM THE FOLDER OF “UP”

On August 5 1785 the ecclesiastical consistory of Viatka issued the permission for construction of the stone Protection of the Holy Mary Church with a chantry dedicated to St Leontiy of Rostov. The construction financed by the congregation was practically completed in 1788. Originally the constructors had used Viatka Baroque style and later – classic style. The church had a rectangular carcass with a semicircle extension for the altar capped with a dome. The unique feature of the church was that the bell tower was built near it. It was built in 1813-1818 upon the project of a well-known architect from Viatka F.M.Rosliakov and among there workers there were French prisoners. In 1880s the church was granted the status of a cathedral and named after St. Peter and St. Paul. It was the highest (63 m) building in the vicinity, the range of vision it provided reached  about 30 km. When the main bell (10 tons) sounded, it made the water spilled on the floor disperse like mercury. The whole complex consisting of the two churches – the Protection of the Holy Mary Church and St Peter and St. Paul Church – was built in one of the busiest streets of Sarapul, and one of the churches gave the name to the streets (Large Protection street, Small Protection street). The Protection of the Holy Mary Church faced the Kama and the Hay Market. The parish was very busy and much attended. A well-known campanologist Mikhail Riabinin who had been casting bells for Riazan, Saratov and Viatka provinces for 25 years came to Sarapul with the only purpose to cast bells for the bell tower of “the Protection”.
In 1920 the Protection of the Holy Mary Church was partly destructed by a shell which arrived from the left bank of the Kama. The fault for this is laid with “the whites” .
In the end of the 30ths both churches were closed.