In 2012, a Russian pilgrimage residence was opened near the site of the Baptism of the Lord in Bethany, Jordan. This territory was transferred to Russia in 2007. A church was built at the residence in honor of the holy Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptizer of the Lord John, where services are regularly held by priests of the Russian spiritual mission. A descent into the water has been arranged at the Jordan River, allowing believers to perform ablutions at the site where Jesus Christ was baptized. A guest complex for pilgrims, accommodating 86 people, has also been created at the residence.

The name Bethany translates from Hebrew as "crossing," and this place on the Jordan served as a crossing over the river in ancient times. Significant events of biblical history occurred in Bethany: the Israelites, led by Joshua, crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land after forty years of wandering in the desert; the holy prophet Elijah crossed the Jordan before being taken to heaven in a fiery chariot; here, Saint John the Forerunner baptized, and here Jesus Christ was baptized; here Christ called the apostles from the disciples of John the Baptist; Jesus Christ returned here when the Jews decided to kill Him during the Feast of Dedication; here Mary of Egypt crossed the Jordan, heading into the desert for ascetic feats and repentance.

In the 1990s, an international group of archaeologists conducted excavations on the eastern bank of the Jordan, guided by an ancient mosaic map in the church of Saint George in the city of Madaba. The excavations uncovered the ruins of a Byzantine church and the base of a Greek column marking the site of the Baptism of the Lord. Research showed that from the 5th to the early 12th century, five Christian churches succeeded one another here. The first church was built during the Byzantine emperor Anastasius on arches six meters high to avoid destruction during the floods of the Jordan. A stone foundation of a chapel was also found at the site where the Lord removed His garments before being immersed in the water.

Nearby is the spring of Saint John the Baptist and the ruins of a Byzantine monastery, presumably linked to the feat of the venerable Mary of Egypt. At some distance is the hill of the holy prophet Elijah, the site of his ascension, and the hill "Tel Harar" with the ruins of a Byzantine cave church, venerated as the dwelling of the prophet Elijah and John the Forerunner.

Currently, various Christian denominations have their churches and monasteries in the sanctuary.