The history of this settlement is still waiting for its researchers. According to some sources, the fortress was founded by Ivan the Terrible during the Kazan campaigns of 1552, and it is he who may have built the first Orthodox church on the territory of present-day Ulyanovsk region, dedicating it to the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.

According to other information, the fortress was erected by Bogdan Khitrovo in 1647, when the Russians began the colonization of the southern lands of the Kazan kingdom. In this case, this fortress became the first in the Korsun defensive line, and Bogdan Khitrovo began the development of the region from there.

The Sur fortress had significant strategic importance, as it controlled the crossing over the Sura River. It also provided a view of the river for several kilometers, allowing control over the waterway. The famous Stepan Razin also visited the fortress, but there is no data on its capture by his troops. His camp was located a kilometer from the Sur fortress, and it is likely that the rebels and defenders agreed not to interfere with each other, especially since there were no valuables in the fortress.

Later, the fortress was used as a place of exile for misbehaving Cossacks and soldiers, as confirmed by the surnames of local residents.

Today, nothing remains of the fortress, and the church has been rebuilt multiple times, the last time in 1917, retaining its name.