The Streltsy regiment is known since the 1650s, when it was led by Vasily Ivanovich Filosofov, and in 1668 he was succeeded by Bogdan Pyzhov. It was the Streltsy under Pyzhov's command who built this stone church in 1657, although some sources indicate the 1670s. The church had two chapels: one in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, and the other in honor of the venerable Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves. According to Moscow tradition, churches were often named after their chapels, so the church is known as Nikolskaya, and the main altar is consecrated in the name of the Annunciation.

Under Pyzhov's leadership, the regiment distinguished itself in the campaign against the "Zaporozhian Cossacks" of Hetman I. M. Bryukhovetsky in 1668, then against Stenka Razin two years later, and later in battles with the Zayatsky Cossacks. In 1682, the Streltsy filed a complaint against Pyzhov, accusing him of illegally deducting money from their salaries. They claimed that he withheld half of their pay, and in some cases even more. Boyar Ivan Yazykov, who conducted the investigation, ruled in favor of the authorities, and the Streltsy were severely punished: they were whipped and exiled. However, the Streltsy believed that Yazykov conducted the investigation unfairly. An indirect confirmation of their correctness was Pyzhov's removal from command. In February 1682, he was sent as a voivode to the distant Vyatka town of Kaygorod.

This exile may have saved Pyzhov, as in 1698 there was a rebellion of the Moscow Streltsy regiments, during the suppression of which many Streltsy were executed. Pyzhov could have perished, had he been in Moscow, at the hands of the Streltsy or Peter's troops.

In 1692, the Streltsy added a bell tower to the church. In 1811, the southern Nikolsky chapel was built, the refectory was reconstructed, and its vault height was increased. However, in 1812, the church was ravaged by Napoleon's French troops.

From 1858, for almost half a century, the church was cared for by the famous merchants Lyamin, who lived nearby. I. A. Lyamin was the church elder of the parish.

The church is located deep within a plot behind a wrought-iron fence. Due to the trees, the two-light square base is visible, topped with a wave of kokoshniks, and above rise five domes. The rare richness of decorative embellishment is impressive, even for the 17th century. All the windows of the northern facade have unique frames with fine stone carvings. The western portal of the refectory is adorned with garlands of carved archivolts and columns, the bases of which are identical to the capitals, as was customary in the late 17th century. The elegant tent-like bell tower has 16 dormer windows, and the sound of its bells could be heard throughout Zamoskvorechye. The church fence was built in the late 19th century.

The Bolsheviks desecrated the church in 1922, and it was closed in 1930. The icons were transferred to the Tretyakov Gallery, and the bell to the Bolshoi Theatre, where it was used in the opera "Boris Godunov." Later, it was installed in the Epiphany Cathedral in Yelokhovo.

In 1960, the church was restored. Subsequently, scientific research institutes and workshops were located there. In 1990, the church was returned to the believers.