The church is small and reminiscent of a lost architectural composition that once included two temples, a fence, Holy Gates, chapels, and tombs. Nearby was the church of Alexius, the Man of God, which has not survived to this day. It was built at the entrance to the old city cemetery in 1866 with funds from merchants Timofey and Alexander Chistov, although the card indicates the year 1860. The church represents a rare provincial example of neo-Renaissance, similar buildings can be found in St. Petersburg. The name of the architect is unknown.

The Sorrowful Church was closed in 1929 and lost its domes, but it survived due to its use as workshops and an archive. Since 1971, the building housed a People's Museum, and in the 1990s, the church was returned to the faithful. The temple is currently active, is a subsidiary church of the Assumption Cathedral, has been partially restored, and new domes were installed in 2009. Work is also underway to improve the cemetery and return the surviving gravestones, which date back to the 18th century. The gravestones bear the names of notable citizens of old Myshkin.

Currently, regular services are held in the church during winter, while in summer they take place at the Assumption Cathedral in the city of Myshkin. Summer services at the church include memorial services and rites.

On November 6, 2012, after the Divine Liturgy conducted by Bishop Benjamin of Rybinsk and Uglich at the church in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God 'Joy of All Who Sorrow' in Myshkin, the cemetery chapel was consecrated. The consecration was performed by Bishop Benjamin. The chapel was built thanks to the efforts of the head of the Myshkin district A. G. Kuritsin, the mayor of Myshkin A. P. Lytkin, A. N. Dugin, participant of the Great Patriotic War A. I. Suvorova, and other benefactors.