Empress Elizabeth Petrovna was one of the few representatives of the Romanov dynasty after Peter the Great who had a special love for Moscow. This attachment extended to her estate Pokrovskoye-Rubtsovo, located on the banks of the now-disappeared River Rybin, which flowed into the Yauza. The village, known since the 16th century, included a wooden palace for entertainment, the Church of the Intercession, a pond, and a garden. Initially, it belonged to Protasiy Vasilyevich Yuryev, and then, through complex paths, it passed to the Romanovs. At that time, this place was ideal for relaxation, although it is hard to imagine today. In the 19th century, railway tracks divided the estate, and in the 20th century, the area was further altered.

During the reign of Anna Ioannovna, when Elizabeth was removed from the court, she lived in Pokrovskoye-Rubtsovo, organizing festivities and celebrations. In 1737, the wooden palace burned down, and in 1739, Elizabeth built a new one on the shore of the pond. It was a one-story building with a high undercroft and a central two-light hall. The interiors were decorated in Japanese and Chinese styles. In 1752, architect B.-F. Rastrelli created a luxurious park with a slide and carousels, as well as a design for a new palace that was never realized.

On the opposite side of the pond, the Church of the Resurrection of Christ was built, connected to the palace by a passage and a bridge. After Elizabeth's death, the palace was hardly used. In 1872, the territory was transferred to the Pokrovsk community of the Sisters of Mercy, who made renovations according to the project of P.P. Skomoroshchenko: they added a second floor, added side wings, restored the Resurrection Church in the central hall, and changed the facades.

The community operated schools, an orphanage, a hospital, and a pharmacy. The Sisters of Mercy assisted at the front. The community was founded by Abbess Mitrophania, known as Baroness Praskovya Rosen. She often resorted to illegal actions to finance the community and was convicted and exiled in 1874.

The community was closed in the 1920s, and communal apartments were established in the former palace, which existed until the 1980s. The pond was filled in, and Gastello Street was laid out in front of the palace. Today, the building of the palace houses the State Research Institute for Restoration.