The church on Bolshaya Yakimanka is hard to notice, squeezed between a multi-story building and a school. Once, the temple was visible from afar, located in the center of an open space, but the events of the 20th century nearly led to its destruction.

The church has been known since 1642 as the Church of the Annunciation in the Foreign Sloboda. This part of Zamoskvorechye housed prisoners from Poland and Lithuania, which explains the name "in Old Panikh." The second name, "in Babiy Gorodok," is a subject of debate. It is likely related to the fortification of the Moscow River bank with piles driven in by "babas." There are also legends about women fighting against the Tatars or about Tatars choosing captives here. Today, this name has only survived in the name of the alley.

Originally wooden, the church was rebuilt in stone during the reign of Anna Ioannovna in 1730. At that time, the construction of a new church with an altar dedicated to St. Maron the Hermit began. The main structure of the church, although significantly altered, has survived to this day. In 1812, the building was damaged: it was first looted by the French, then it suffered from a fire. The church was closed for five years, and its restoration was completed only by 1831 thanks to the merchants Lepyoshkin, who also built a new refectory with altars dedicated to St. Maron and the Nativity of John the Baptist. In 1844, the church received a new iconostasis and a dome with five cupolas, and in 1886, a hipped roof with one cupola and new paired windows. The church was famous for its selection of bells, one of the best in Moscow, and the bell tower has remained since 1730.

Services ceased around 1931, and the building began to change. It was planned to be demolished as "low-value," but it survived, becoming a garage and auto repair shops. For this, new openings were made in the walls, and all Christian symbols were destroyed. In 1992, the dilapidated church was handed over to a new Orthodox community, which began a long restoration. Now the church is almost fully restored and looks as it did in the early 20th century.