The small village of Zelenets, located near the capital of the Komi Republic, Syktyvkar, attracts attention with its ancient, now abandoned church. The village stretches along the left bank of the Vychegda River. On the opposite right bank of the river lies an archaeological site, where archaeologists discovered a settlement dating back to the 9th century. It is likely that the history of the development of this area began with this settlement.

Due to frequent flooding of the right bank, the settlement was moved to the left bank, where the village of Zelenets and several other localities are now situated. The village is first mentioned in documents in 1586 under the name Shordoryag, which translates to 'by the forest river.' The toponym 'zelenets' denotes an island on the river without arable land, likely referring to an island located slightly downstream from the village. In the past, Zelenets was known as a center for the production of wooden household utensils.

Until the 1830s, there was a wooden church in Zelenets, and in the 1830s-40s, a stone church of the Epiphany was built according to the design of Ivan Focht, consecrated in 1849. During the Soviet era, the church was closed, and to this day, only ruins remain. Specialists who examined the church concluded that the vaults and walls have sustained irreversible damage and the church may soon collapse. According to their assessment, restoration is already impossible.