The Kazan Church in Nizhny Novgorod, described as "wooden on a basement, with a porch, topped with a tent roof," was located at the Zeleny Confluence at the foot of the Kremlin and was considered one of the oldest in the city.

In 1687, merchant Afanasy Olisov replaced the old wooden church, which was contemporary with the Time of Troubles, with a brick church in memory of the feat of the Nizhny Novgorod militia. The church had three altars dedicated to the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, the Holy Martyr John the Warrior, and Saint Dimitri of Rostov.

The church was destroyed in the 1950s. Its revival is associated with the establishment of a new holiday, the Day of National Unity, celebrated on November 4. The church was laid on November 3, 2005, by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia. The ceremony was attended by the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Volga Federal District Sergey Kirienko, the Governor of Nizhny Novgorod Region Valery Shantsev, and the head of Nizhny Novgorod Vadim Bulavinov.

In 2006, at the initiative of Archbishop Georgy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas, a competition was held for the best sketch of the future church. The winner was the project of architect Evgeny Pestov.

On January 22, 2009, Archbishop Georgy consecrated the crosses, domes, and bell tower of the Kazan Church, which was being built between Ilyinskaya Street and Zeleny Confluence.

On November 3, 2012, Metropolitan Georgy conducted the rite of consecration and the first Divine Liturgy in the church in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. He was assisted by Bishops Augustine and Varvara, as well as clergy of the Nizhny Novgorod Diocese.