Vasilsursk, one of the oldest cities in the Volga region, was founded in 1523 during Vasily III's campaign against Kazan. On the lands of the Kazan Khanate, a fortress with the Church of the Intercession of the Virgin was built at the mouth of the Sura River. In 1556, the spring flood of the Volga changed the river's course, and the city found itself on the banks of the Volga. At that time, a large landslide swept the lower streets and the church with worshippers into the river. According to legend, the church now lies in Lake Nestiar, and the righteous can hear church singing there. Since then, landslides have become a disaster for the city.

When Russia was divided into provinces, Vasilsursk became one of the 71 cities of the Kazan province, and from 1779 it gained the status of a district city of the Nizhny Novgorod province. In 1781, the coat of arms and city plan were approved, which included Khmelevka, established on the site of a desert and the Trinity Men's Monastery. In 1708, the Church of the Kazan Mother of God was built here. The monastery existed from 1708 to 1784 and had fishing grounds, a pier, and a mill. In 1764, the monastery was abolished, and its church became a parish church, receiving 33 desyatinas of land. The icons of the church were lost in the 20th century but are known from descriptions. This year, the temple turns 300 years old, making it the oldest Orthodox church.

Vasilsursk also had a stone cathedral built from 1813 to 1828 on the site of a burned wooden one. The government allocated funds for its construction. In the 1920s and 30s, landslides destroyed the street behind the church, and the stone cathedral began to crack. In 1939, it was started to be dismantled for bricks.

In the late 19th century, construction began in the elevated part of the settlement, new streets appeared, and a new cemetery opened in 1897. In 1901, a church was laid at the cemetery, built on donations from the local bourgeoisie and Nizhny Novgorod merchants. The city administration allocated 1000 rubles. On July 27, 1902, Bishop Nazariy consecrated the new church of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God. It operated until 1939, and during the Great Patriotic War, it was closed and stood boarded up for a long time. In 1975, it was demolished. In 2006, a new chapel was built on the site of the old church, using the foundation of the old church. There was also a small chapel in the market square of Vasilsursk.