In late June 1708, the village of Velikoye in the Yaroslavl province became the property of Prince Nikita Ivanovich Repnin. By 1712, a spacious Nativity of the Virgin Church was built on the site of an old wooden church. Local historians believe that the temple was laid in 1709 in honor of the victory at Poltava. In the early 18th century, Velikoye had one of the largest parishes in the province, and Prince Repnin decided to build a large church. The original dimensions of the temple were 21.3 by 31.95 meters, and its height reached 37 meters. Even after 300 years, the Nativity of the Virgin Church remains one of the largest parish churches in the Yaroslavl region. The church's design was unique: the vaults rested on six pillars, and the choir for the singers was located above the altar. Documents related to the construction of the church have not yet been found. It would be interesting to find analogues among church buildings in the Yaroslavl province from the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The most significant six-pillar church was the Assumption Cathedral in Yaroslavl, built in 1646 but destroyed in 1930. Currently, the cathedral has been recreated based on a modified design. A comparison of photographs of the Nativity of the Virgin Church with historical images of the Assumption Cathedral reveals significant similarities.

Although the blueprints used in the construction of the churches have not survived, we have a plan of the Assumption Cathedral from 1890 and blueprints of the Nativity of the Virgin Church from 1989, made for restoration. A comparison of these documents shows that the building plans, excluding later extensions, are very similar. Moreover, the dimensions of the Nativity of the Virgin Church in plan are identical to those of the Assumption Cathedral, measuring 10 by 15 fathoms. Considering the construction dates, 1712 and 1646, it can be assumed that the design of the Nativity of the Virgin Church was based on the project of the Yaroslavl Assumption Cathedral. The craftsmen of Velikoye reproduced its appearance, except for the height of the load-bearing walls. In terms of height, the Nativity of the Virgin Church is slightly inferior: the cornice is lowered by 5.3 meters.