The first settlement on the site of the present city appeared no earlier than the 16th century, although the features of the terrain suggest the possibility of earlier settlements. Fatezh is mentioned as a village with a church parish from the mid-17th century. Until 1818, the city housed the Epiphany Cathedral, built in 1795, which became the first stone church with a bell tower. In 1868, the Theological Cemetery Church was built.

In 1818, a stone church with a bell tower in honor of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin was erected with the funds of merchant Ivan Stepanovich Kharichkov. After his death in 1845, his widow, Elizabeth Stepanovna, built a warm stone church at the Intercession Church in honor of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God. The central altar was consecrated in honor of the Tikhvin Icon, the left one in honor of Blessed Andrew, and the right one in honor of Righteous Elizabeth.

Services were held in the Intercession Church in summer, and in the Tikhvin Church in winter.

The Pokrovsky-Tikhvin parish schools were highly valued in the district: the Pokrovsky School (1858), a literacy school in the village of Lyubazh Kolodez (founded on October 30, 1893), a one-class (founded on March 12, 1893) and a two-class parish school, which were maintained by donations from parishioners under the patronage of Fatezh merchant Alexander Vasilyevich Barkov. The teachers were mainly priests, deacons, and psalmists. The priest of the Intercession Church, starting from November 27, 1891, was also the law teacher of the Fatezh military team and the parish school, a member of the district educational council since March 27, 1893, and the dean of the 3rd district since March 22, 1901. He was awarded a pectoral cross on March 8, 1899, a purple skufia on March 22, 1901, and a kamilavka on May 6, 1906, and was also a deputy of the zemstvo assembly for the Fatezh district since 1905.

The Tikhvin Church was renovated in 1890, and holy antimins were issued in 1845, 1875, and 1883. The church had a library of 170 volumes of spiritual literature and Orthodox periodicals, for the sale of which two stone shops were built.

Next to the church was a cemetery with a stone fence and two church gardens: one within the fence, the other on Veselaya Street, donated by resident Matveev. In 1908, the church was visited by Bishop Pitirim.

According to the resolution of the regional executive committee dated April 14, 1936, the Intercession Church was closed for "cultural needs" and given for the construction of a club. The Epiphany Church was transferred for the construction of a school by the resolution of July 11, 1937. The Tikhvin Church remained the only one of the four in the city; it was decided not to demolish it but to convert it into a storage facility, which allowed the church building to survive to this day.