The Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin in the former village of Pokrovskoye-Rubtsovo is one of the oldest churches in Moscow. It was founded in 1618 by the decree of Tsar Mikhail in gratitude for the expulsion of the Polish-Lithuanian invaders and the end of the Time of Troubles.

This church is unique in that it is the only monument dedicated to the final overcoming of the troubles that long tormented Russia.

After the end of the Civil War and the ascension of Mikhail Romanov, Russia's enemies did not cease their attempts to seize the country. In 1618, Wladyslaw IV gathered a 20,000-strong army, which included the regiments of Khodkevich and the Zaporizhian Hetman Petro Sahaidachny, and marched towards Moscow.

Attempts to stop the enemy with a 7,000-strong vanguard near Serpukhov were unsuccessful, and the superior enemy forces continued their advance. Then Tsar Mikhail vowed to build a church in case of victory, which is still popularly called the Obednenny (Dinner) Church.

However, success and the construction of the church were ahead, while a desperate battle lay ahead. The invaders, led by Hetman Sahaidachny, captured the Don Monastery, Khodkevich took Tushino, and Wladyslaw advanced on the Kremlin but was defeated by Dmitry Pozharsky, who led the defense of Moscow.

Seeing the king's defeat, Khodkevich headed for the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, where he suffered defeat and fled. Sahaidachny also quickly left Moscow and later offered his service to Mikhail but was rejected.

After this victory, the troubles were finally over, and the power of the first sovereign from the Romanov dynasty was strengthened. Mikhail kept his word and laid the foundation of the church in his first residence, in the village of Pokrovskoye-Rubtsovo, which previously belonged to Protasiy Vasilyevich Yuryev, then passed to Nikita Romanovich Yuryev, and further to Fyodor Nikitich Romanov, the grandfather and father of Mikhail Romanov, who ascended the throne in 1613.

The construction of the wooden church began in 1619, but it was soon decided to replace it with a stone one. The construction of the current church was completed in 1627. During the Soviet era, the church suffered greatly: the bell tower and domes were demolished, the cemetery was destroyed, but the church itself miraculously survived.

Today, the church is once again open to visitors but needs serious repairs. Soviet engineers made a mistake in the construction of the roof, causing water to flow down the walls and damage them. The construction of a railway nearby has caused problems with the church's foundation, and we risk losing this four-hundred-year-old building.

The church was especially beloved by the Romanovs, and the last of their line, Nicholas II, visited here during the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov. The Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin in Pokrovskoye is not only an important religious site but also a significant part of our country's history.