Six kilometers from Yalta, near the village of Nikita, lies one of Crimea's famous attractions, the Nikita Botanical Garden, founded in 1812.

The garden was home to scientists, gardeners, students, and workers, but there were no hospitals or churches, so they had to travel to Yalta. In 1881, Alexander Ivanovich Bazarov became the director of the garden. He approached the authorities with a request to replace the project for a single-story hospital with a two-story building that would house a hospital, a church, and a priest's apartment. In July 1882, permission for construction was granted and a budget was drawn up. Bazarov tasked architect P.K. Terebenev with preparing the project, considering the wishes: the church should accommodate up to 200 people, and the altar should be separable so that the space could be used for meetings. The project was completed on February 18, 1883.

A site near the school was chosen for construction, but due to soil conditions, the altar had to be oriented to the southeast, which violated the canons of Orthodox construction.

The solemn laying of the foundation took place on March 25, 1884, on the Feast of the Annunciation. Construction progressed quickly, and by the end of 1884, the main work was completed. However, due to a lack of funds, construction continued until mid-1886, with finishing work completed by August. On September 19, 1885, a cross was installed, and by the end of the year, the frescoes were finished.

On February 5, 1887, the church was consecrated by Archimandrite Epiphanius in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

The building was a spacious single-nave basilica with a vestibule leading to the second floor church. The first floor housed the hospital, and the priest's apartment was attached to the altar wall. The building had the shape of an elongated cross. Above the entrance was a bell tower with a cross, and on the drum, a dome with a cross. The windows were adorned with stone frames, and between them were niches with cast-iron crosses.

In the summer of 1887, two bells cast in Moscow were installed in the bell tower.

After the revolution in 1921, the garden became a state farm, and services in the church continued until 1920. Parishioners formed a religious society and appealed to the authorities to transfer the church to them. They committed to maintain and repair the church, but there was no priest, and the duties were performed by a worker, Innokenty Chernyakov.

In the late 1920s, the church was closed, the dome and bell tower were destroyed, and the crosses and bells were removed. The building was used as a warehouse, shop, laboratory, and cultural center. The interior frescoes and icons were lost, and the hall with good acoustics was turned into a dark room.

In 1991, the residents of Nikita organized the Holy Transfiguration community and rented the building for repairs. By August 19, 1992, they had restored the first-floor hall, and on that day, the building was consecrated.

On April 7, 1993, the altar was consecrated, and the first liturgy was held. Parishioners sought to restore the iconostasis, installed a cross and bell tower. In 1995, Archbishop Lazar conducted the Divine Liturgy on the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.