The appearance of Christian churches at the beginning of the construction of Slobodskoy can be imagined by looking at the wooden church of Archistratigus Michael, an architectural monument from the early 17th century. This building served as a gate tower and was part of the eastern defensive wall of the male Epiphany Monastery. In the mid-20th century, the church was moved to the city center from its original location when churches that had existed for centuries were 'rediscovered.' This unique structure is one of the earliest preserved wooden fortress churches and simultaneously a typical cult building that was constructed in Russia from the time of the adoption of Christianity until the early 20th century. The fate of this monument reflects the history of many wooden churches and chapels in Russia.

Unlike the earliest cell churches, the Church of Archangel Michael has an eight-pitched roof. Its walls are hewn 'in the round with a remainder.' Porches are arranged on cantilevered logs called 'potokhi.' A frame structure made of posts, wedged between upper and lower bindings, was used to enclose the porches of the western aisle, and the space between the posts is filled with boards 'in the joint.' Horizontal logs, called slegis, were inserted into the log gables to support the roof. In 16th-century churches, roofs were often topped with a dome hewn 'in the notch,' faceted, for which shingles were used, laid in an overlap, and for the dome, lemekh, short boards covering rounded shapes. The ends of the lemekh are made in the form of rectangular stepped ledges. The ends of the shingles on the roofs are also cut, which contributed to quick drying and the creation of delicate shadows.

Centuries of experience of carpenters allowed for the creation of a nail-free 'male' roof, all parts of which were fastened without the use of iron. Such a construction prevented moisture penetration and rotting of wooden elements, and the building was designed for natural ventilation of the walls.

In the early 19th century, the Church of Archangel Michael changed its appearance. The hewn walls were covered with shingles, and the roof and dome were covered with tin. New decorations, rounded windows, and metal grilles appeared. Similar changes affected all wooden churches and chapels in Russia. The original appearance was restored only in the mid-20th century. In 1957, the church took on an appearance close to what it was in the early 17th century. However, many Russian churches were lost forever. It is believed that the shingle cladding caused significant harm to the preservation of the monuments.

After the 'second discovery,' the Church of Archangel Michael was presented in Paris and was to become the first object of an open-air museum planned to be created in the center of Slobodskoy, similar to Kizhi or Kholokhova. It is remarkable that the church of Archistratigus Michael was built in 1610, during the civil war, when the fate of Russia was being decided and the very existence of the last Orthodox state was in question.