The church was first mentioned in 1628-1630. By the mid-17th century, a convent was established at the church. In 1764, by decree of Catherine II, the convent was abolished, and the church in honor of St. John the Merciful became a parish church. In 1809, the wooden church was dismantled and a stone one was built. The church was built with funds from I.V. Tuttolmin in the then fashionable classical style. In the 1860s, a cast-iron floor was made in the church and wall paintings were done with funds from the Vyaznikovsky 1st guild merchant Osip Osipovich Senkov, a native of Mstera. The church was painted by a team of craftsmen from Palekh under the supervision of V.A. Salabanov. In 1867, a new bell tower was built instead of a tented bell tower according to the design of the Vladimir diocesan architect N.A. Artleben. The money for the construction of the bell tower was donated by the same merchant Senkov. During the years of persecution it was closed and in the early 1930s it was adapted for a club.