The first church dedicated to Metropolitan Philip (Kolyshev), who openly opposed the terror of Ivan the Terrible, is not only a tribute to this significant spiritual figure in Russia but also a unique architectural monument of the 18th century.

In July 1652, the relics of Metropolitan Philip were transported from the Solovetsky Monastery, where he perished, to Moscow for public church glorification at the Assumption Cathedral. The procession was led by the Novgorod Metropolitan Nikon, who became patriarch in the same month. In Meshchanskaya Sloboda, the relics were met with a cross procession involving the tsar and clergy. At this site, a chapel with a commemorative cross was initially erected, and in 1677, a wooden church was built in honor of Saint Philip. In 1691, it was replaced by a stone building in the Baroque style, which eventually fell into disrepair. Metropolitan Platon of Moscow permitted the construction of a new building, and work continued from 1777 to 1788. The refectory and bell tower have been preserved from 1750-1752.

The question of the architect remains open, but M.F. Kazakov is considered the most likely author of the project. Officially, the works were overseen by S.A. Karin. The church was built in the classical style and richly decorated. The Baroque bell tower and the almost undecorated refectory contrast with the rotunda of the main part of the church, adorned with lintels, medallions, and Ionic porticos with stucco and a pilastered portico on the altar apse. The rotunda is topped with a dome featuring large windows and a lantern, reminiscent of a park gazebo. A similar finish was used by Kazakov in the Church of the Ascension of the Lord on Gorokhov Field. Inside, the church is also impressive: in the western part of the rotunda, there are columns of the Ionic order, while in the altar part, there are columns of the Corinthian order. The choir is supported by columns of the Doric order. The architect aimed to utilize all variants of classical decor characteristic of Orthodox churches of that time. The dome is adorned with elegant coffers, and decorative details enhance the impression of the scale of the interior.

Around 1939, services in the church ceased. The surrounding buildings and church houses were almost completely demolished during the construction of the Olympic Sports Complex. However, the church itself preserved not only its exterior appearance but also almost all of its interior decoration. The building housed the State Standard archive, which made access to the unique interiors impossible. The situation changed in 1991 when services resumed. In 1994, the Siberian Courtyard was established at the church, for which a chapel and two buildings were constructed in the style of the Philip Church. Today, the church is open to all who wish to visit.