History and Present of the Temple

In the 16th century, the Pereyaslav Yam settlement was founded outside the Earthen City, where a wooden church dedicated to John the Baptist was soon built. The first mention of it dates back to 1625. In the 18th century, after the liquidation of the settlement system, people of various classes settled in the area.

In 1712, the church burned down, but it was restored a year later thanks to donations. The main altar was consecrated in honor of the icon of the Mother of God of the Sign. From 1757 to 1766, a stone church in the late Baroque style was built on the site of the wooden temple.

In 1888, the church was reconstructed: two chapels were added, and the refectory was expanded, preserving the Baroque forms. Before the revolution, a charitable institution and a church school operated at the church.

After 1917, the church continued to function. It preserved 19th-century iconostases. During the Soviet era, many icons and relics from closed churches in Moscow were transferred here, including a cross from the chapel at the Krestovskaya Post and a wooden crucifix from the Passion Monastery. The church also houses the icon of the Mother of God of the Sign with relics of Saint Trifon and the icon of Saints Adrian and Natalia.

The bell tower has preserved ancient bells, and the church fence, built in the 19th century, has also survived.

In 1979, the church was repaired externally. In 1980, a side altar in honor of Saint Martyr Trifon, made from 250-year-old oak, was consecrated. A few years later, a new church house was built, and in 1997, a stone baptismal church in honor of Saint Martyr Alexander Khotovitsky was consecrated.

Today, the church community supports the local society for the blind. The church is a cultural heritage site of federal significance and is protected by the state.