The history of the settlement at the site of the modern village of Afanasyevo begins in 1607. The first wooden church, built here no later than 1667, was dedicated to Saints Athanasius and Cyril of Alexandria, with its chapel dedicated to St. Paraskeva Friday. In 1798, a new wooden church was erected on this site. In the 1840s, the idea of building a stone church emerged, but due to poor quality of bricks and lack of funds, the work had to be postponed. Only in 1855 did engineer Galkin confirm the suitability of the bricks and propose to build the church again in wood, but on a brick foundation. He also developed the plan and estimate, which were approved in 1857. The contract for the masonry work was awarded to D. M. Tyurin.

By 1861, the foundation and plinth with the vault for the floors were completed. The parishioners again appealed to the diocesan administration with a request to replace the wooden church with a stone one. However, architect E. V. Garman, who examined the foundations, gave a negative conclusion regarding their use for brick walls. Construction work, resumed in 1863, was completed in 1871 with the cladding of the log structure and the erection of a wooden fence, and in 1872 the church was consecrated.

The church was located in the center of the village at the intersection of two main streets. It was a large cross-shaped structure, with side projections, an altar, and an elongated western arm that served as the base for the bell tower. The plan was complicated by the projections of the northern and southern wings and the west.

Above the crossing rose a square structure covered with a multi-faceted tent with an onion-shaped dome. The tiered effect was created by the lowered parts of the side and altar projections with gable roofs. The three-tiered bell tower had a similar finish.

The eclectic style of the church included 'Gothic' elements in the facade decoration, which is rarely seen in wooden architecture. The motifs of the gables used in the roofs and decorative details were repeated in the design of the window frames, giving the church compositional unity and a memorable silhouette.

Twenty years after the consecration of the wooden church, a construction committee was formed in the village to build a stone church. Architect I. A. Charushin chose a site to the north of the existing church, bringing the foundation of the new building closer to the street. The idea of creating a square in the center of the village did not develop, and only the expansion of Krasny Partizan Street reminds of this.

The project for the stone church, drawn up by I. A. Charushin, was approved in February 1902. A contract was signed with contractor Bratukhin, and the foundation was laid. However, financial difficulties delayed construction, and the work dragged on until 1917, after which it was not resumed. The church remained unfinished, used for purposes other than intended, and only in the 1990s, after the building was transferred to the parish community, was the northern chapel consecrated. The built part of the building is a single-story volume with a gable roof. Its cult affiliation is indicated by the semi-circular apse and specific decor, relating the building to the pseudo-Russian style.

The interior space was divided into three naves by four pillars, on which it was planned to erect a second tier of the square structure. The preserved project gives an idea of the architect's design.

The upper part of the square structure, completed with five domes, was to become the main accent of the building. It was complemented by a four-tiered tent bell tower, connected by a covered passage to the main room. Decorative tents over the corner sections of the lower tier of the church added picturesque quality to the building. The western entrance was planned to be decorated with a porch on two pilasters with weights. The side portals were highlighted by cornices and window frames. The decor of other parts of the monument included flares, columns, keel-shaped openings, crackers, and edging. The careful detailing gave expressiveness to the facade.