The first mention of the village dates back to 1835, when the construction of the Nikolaevsk fortress began. Cossacks and soldiers built residential buildings, warehouses, and the stanitsa administration buildings. To protect against raids by nomads, a deep moat was dug around the settlement, and a high earthen rampart was erected. However, this was not enough, and the Cossacks began constructing a fortress wall. It was tall and sturdy, with corner towers. In 1847, a church was built, named after Saint Nicholas, and this name spread to the village.

The church was made of brick, had a cross-shaped exterior with central and side entrances. The height of the building from the ground to the cornice was 15-17 meters, and the plaster was lime-based. At the center of the upper part, above the cornice, the structure was topped with a brick vault, on which there was a central dome made of wood, covered with roofing iron and crowned with a cross about 6-7 meters high. In addition to the large dome, there were three smaller domes on the sides and a dome for the bells. The walls of the vault featured paintings and inscriptions. Opposite the central entrance were the choir and the chancel, decorated with wood. The floor was wooden.

The Cossacks lovingly cared for their church, and according to the locals, in terms of beauty and services, it was no less than those in the cities. The village's remoteness from large settlements helped preserve the church building during difficult times, and services continued there for several decades under Soviet rule.

In the 1950s-1960s, the Nikolaev church was in terrible condition, as it was used as a grain storage facility. However, the icons and gilded domes remained until 1985. In 1985, arriving "restorers" removed the dome coverings and began restoration, but it was never completed. The situation worsened with two fires inside the building. The external facade still retained a semblance of prosperity, although the domes were peeling and covered with galvanized metal, while the interior looked pitiful.

This remarkable architectural monument of the 19th century was restored in 1990. By the order of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the State Property Committee dated July 16, 1996, the building of the Nikolaev fortress with the church in the village of Nikolaevka, Varna district, was transferred for indefinite free use to the Chelyabinsk Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church.