Before the construction of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God Church in Optina Monastery, a miraculous event occurred. Hieromonk Macarius, who later became the archimandrite of the Maloyaroslavets Black Island Monastery, sustained a fatal injury at the site of the future church. During a severe illness, he dreamed that he was praying before the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in the house of landlady Elena Semyonovna Saburova from Kozelsk district. Upon waking, Father Macarius felt relief and promised that after his recovery, he would visit Saburova's house and serve a prayer before the icon.

When he fulfilled this vow, Saburova told him about her intention to build a church in honor of the icon and suggested that it be erected in Optina Monastery. She promised to donate the icon to the monastery and contribute funds for the construction. Abbot Abraham perceived this as a sign of God's mercy and decided to build the church at the site of the incident. Saburova made a significant contribution to the construction, while Hieromonk Macarius collected donations to complete the finishing of the church.

The church has three altars: the central one in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, the southern one in honor of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, and the northern one in honor of the holy great martyrs George the Victorious and Theodore Stratilates. Construction began in 1805, the main altar was consecrated in 1811, and the side altars in 1815. Initially, the northern altar was dedicated only to George the Victorious, but in 1837, after the reconstruction of the Introduction Cathedral, the altar of Theodore Stratilates was moved there.

In 1859, under the leadership of Priest Moisei Putilov, a minor consecration of the renovated church was held after the completion of the painting and gilding of the iconostasis. Under Priest Isaac Antimonov, the church was expanded, with the addition of a choir and a room for the sacristy, as well as a basement.

After the revolution, the church remained active longer than others in the monastery but was closed by the authorities in 1923. During the Soviet era, an agricultural school was located in the monastery, and agricultural machinery was stored in the church.

After the monastery resumed its activities, the restoration of the church began. All three altars were consecrated by Patriarch Alexy II on July 28, 1996. In the 19th century, the remains of three Optina elders were buried in the church's crypt: Moisei and Antoniy Putilov, as well as Isaac Antimonov. In the 1990s, their relics were discovered and returned to the crypts. The walls of the church are adorned with frescoes made using the ancient method of 'wet' painting.

In the Kazan Church, late Liturgies and evening services are held daily, and on Sundays and feast days, all-night vigils and late Liturgies take place.