The Lai factory was founded by the Demidovs in the first half of the 18th century. The first settlers, Old Believers, fled here from the civil and church reforms of Peter I, finding safe refuge with the Demidovs. Most of them arrived from the Kergenez River in the Nizhny Novgorod province, which is why they were called "kirzhaki" or "kerzhi."

However, there were not enough free settlers to work at the factory, so in the first half of the 19th century, Demidov relocated serfs purchased from Count Razumovsky in the Chernigov province. Common huts were built for them, away from the Old Believer settlements, and they were trained in factory work.

After the relocation of Orthodox Little Russians, the factory owner built a wooden chapel for them, where priests from the Nizhny Tagil Old Believer church occasionally held services. With the increase in population and the distance from the Nizhny Tagil factory, the need for a church and clergy arose, which was realized in 1852. The chapel was converted into a church, and an independent Lai parish was established, including the factory settlement and the village of Lai, located 8 versts to the north.

According to data from 1900, the parish had 986 Orthodox men, 1041 women, 85 schismatic men, and 98 schismatic women. Most residents worked at the factory, engaged in firewood and coal harvesting, as well as agriculture and trade.

The church in the Lai factory is wooden, on a stone foundation, dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene. Its history is simple: after the relocation of peasants from the Chernigov province, Demidov built a chapel, and 15 years later, he converted it into a church. A wooden porch and a bell tower with five bells were added. The church was consecrated in 1842 by Archpriest Kirillov. The iconostasis is wooden, painted white with gilding.

The aging and cramped church prompted parishioners to consider building a new church. It was decided to set aside 2-5 kopecks from every earned ruble. Thanks to this, construction has already begun.

The clergy of the church consists of one priest and one psalmist, for whom there are three houses. There is also a zemstvo school in the Lai factory, opened in 1872.