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The church was built in 1671-1687.
Huge in size and fantastic in its silhouette of fifteen domes the church of St John Baptist is astonishing by splendour of decoration and skill of performing it. Plenty of tiling on the church walls is striking. The monument is symmetrical in its plan and the volumes. Any point of observation reveals some new and amazing artistic quality. High chapels are specially beautiful being surmounted by groups of small domes. After 1708 fire the middle dome was changed by new one. this dome has been preserved at present. The interior of the church is distinguished by its large size, rich and delicate carving of the iconostasis, fantastic skill of performing icons, artistic blacksmith's work in producing doors and gratings. However unique frescoes covering the walls and window and door bevellings.
Immence wall painting in the church of St John Baptist was executed in 1694-1695 by sixteen Yaroslavl masters headed be Dmitry Grigoorjev Plekhanov and Fyodor Ignatiev, the well-known painters of the late XVII century in Russia. The painting was carried out in shrt space of time (nearly five months) being interesting in a penty of subjects involved and in a high skill of performing. the drawing is delicate and extremely expressive. The harmony is achieved by the unity of the colour range, which is around cold greenish blue hues. The parvis chapels were painted by the same group of the painters in 1700.
The wall painting in the church of St John Baptist is the highest level i the development of decorative and monumental style of fresco painting. Depicting of separate big figures of saints on the piers was abandoned in favour of small compositions. The painting on the walls is divided into a greater number of friezes than usually, and involves many new subjects. The painters declined the stern composition "The Last Judgement" usually occupying the west wall and replaced it by six biblical compositions derived from the Song of Solomon (or as the Church interpreted it, of the love of Christ for the Church, His bride - to be). Among the numerous symbolic theological compositions of the frscoes that on the theme "Wisdom Hath Builded Her House, She Hath Hewn..." is depicted on the vault. "The Last Judgement" in a short and more gentle interpritation is depicted in the north parvis. The painting is distinguished by more realistic interpretation of theological themes, and attempts to reflect the surrounding nature. Depicting of landscapes is characterized by perspective.
Wall painting of the church in Tolchkovo Sloboda is the most prominent of all painting prodused in the late XVII - early XVIII centuries.
The belfry of the church of St John Baptist is not only the high level of Yaroslavl architecture school but only a masterpiece of the Russian culture.
It is slender in its silhouette, but its architectural forms do not belong to Yaroslavl school especially the second and the third stages, which are richly decorated by the elements of the West-European style (cornices, consoles, rustics and so on ...)..