The history of the settlement at the site of the modern village of Afanasyevo begins in 1607. The first wooden church, built here no later than 1667, was dedicated to Athanasius and Cyril of Alexandria, with a chapel for Paraskeva Friday. In 1798, a new wooden church was erected on this site. In the 1840s, the idea arose to build a stone church, but due to poor quality bricks and lack of funds, construction had to be postponed. Only in 1855 did engineer Galkin confirm the suitability of the bricks and suggest building a wooden church on a brick foundation. He was tasked with preparing a plan and estimate, which were approved in 1857. The contract for the masonry work was awarded to D. M. Tyurin.

By 1861, the foundation and plinth with the vault for the floors were completed. The parishioners again approached the diocesan administration with a request to replace the wooden church with a stone one. However, diocesan architect E. V. Garman gave a negative conclusion about the possibility of using the foundation for brick walls. Construction work resumed in 1863 and was completed in 1871 with the cladding of the log structure and the erection of a wooden fence. The church was consecrated in 1872.

The church was located in the center of the village at the intersection of two main streets and was a large structure in the shape of a cross. This shape was achieved through side risalits, the altar, and an elongated western wing that served as the base for the bell tower. The plan was complicated by the projections of the northern and southern wings and the western wing.

Above the crossing rose a square structure topped with a multi-faceted tent with an onion dome. The tiered composition was created by the lowered parts of the side and altar extensions with gable roofs. The three-tiered bell tower had a similar finish.

The eclectic style of the church was manifested in the 'Gothic' decoration of the facades, which is rarely seen in wooden architecture. The gable motif, repeatedly used in roofs and decorative details, was echoed in the design of the window frames, giving the church compositional unity and a memorable silhouette.

Twenty years after the consecration of the wooden church, a construction committee was formed in the village to build a stone church. Architect I. A. Charushin chose a site on the north side of the existing church, bringing the foundation of the new building closer to the street. The idea of creating a square in the center of the village did not develop, and only the widening of the Krasny Partizan street reminds of this.

The project for the stone church, drawn up by I. A. Charushin, was approved in February 1902. A contract was signed with contractor Bratukhin, and the foundation was laid. However, financial difficulties delayed construction until 1917, after which it was not resumed. The church remained unfinished, used for other purposes, and only in the 1990s was the northern chapel consecrated. The built part of the building is a single-story volume with a gable roof. The cult affiliation is indicated by a semicircular apse and architectural decor, relating the structure to the pseudo-Russian style.

The interior space is divided into three naves by four pillars, on which it was planned to erect a second tier of the square structure. The preserved project of the church gives an idea of the architect's design.

The upper part of the square structure, topped with five domes, was meant to be the main accent of the building. It was complemented by a four-tiered tent bell tower connected by a covered passage to the main room. Decorative tents over the corner sections of the lower tier of the church added picturesque quality to the structure. The western entrance was planned to be decorated with a porch on two pilasters. The side portals were highlighted with cornices and window frames. The decor of other parts of the monument included pilasters, columns, keel-shaped openings, and decorative elements. The detailing of the onion-shaped domes and kokoshniks gave expressiveness to the facade.