The history of the Nikolsky temple is quite fascinating, although it contains many unclear moments, but overall it is well studied. The church celebrated its two-hundredth anniversary. There is a legend about its construction, according to which F.M. Kutuzov, during the Russo-Turkish War, received an order to lead a landing on one of the Greek islands to drive out the Turks. When the ship with the landing party set out to sea, a strong storm began. Kutuzov, realizing the danger, fervently prayed to St. Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors, and made a vow: if he survived, he would build a church in his honor at his ancestral estate. Kutuzov survived and, returning to Shchelykovo after the war, fulfilled his promise.

The construction lasted about ten years, and in 1792 the church was consecrated. The church adorns the surroundings and preserves the memory of its creator. The family crypt of the Kutuzovs at the Nikolsky cemetery has not survived, and time has erased the graves of Fyodor Mikhailovich and his family. Now, within the church's enclosure, the last owner of the estate, playwright A.N. Ostrovsky, is honored. The temple has three altars: at the top, St. Nicholas; below, the icon of the Mother of God of Fyodor; and also the Holy Great Martyrs Theodore Stratilates and George the Victorious. The church is adorned with a golden iconostasis, exquisite carvings, and a series of majestic columns. From a distance, it resembles a large ship. Probably, thanks to the graves of Ostrovsky, his family, and the museum, the church was preserved during the years of militant atheism.