In 1916, a wooden tent-like church was built in the neo-Russian style based on the design of architect Fyodor Shekhtel. It originally served as the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker for the 675th Tula Infantry Division in Petrovsko-Razumovskoe, near the Straw Watchtower. This name referred to the territory of the Petrovsky Forest Academy, where at the border stood a small house made of clay and straw, where the watchman lived.

The interior decoration and painting of the church were done according to sketches by Shekhtel, inspired by the style of the Ferapontov Monastery. For the iconostasis, authentic icons from the 16th and 17th centuries were collected. The most valuable of them adorned the royal gates, which were an exact copy of the gates of the Feodorovsky Cathedral in Tsarskoye Selo. The painting was done by the architect's children, professional artists Lev Fyodorovich and Vera Fyodorovna Shekhtel. The church was consecrated on July 20, 1916, by Bishop Dmitry of Mozhaisk. The ceremony was attended by Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, the Governor-General of Moscow, the commander of the Moscow Military District, commanders of militia brigades, officers of the 675th Tula Division, and local residents. In 1916, Moscow newspapers reported that the church, representing archaeological value due to its rare icons, became the first church-memorial in Russia commemorating the events of World War I.

After the October Revolution, the church became a parish church. On April 6, 1922, 7 pounds of silver were confiscated from it. In the 1920s, the church was listed as a monument of architecture and was included in protective lists as a collection of ancient icons, but its condition deteriorated. In 1935, the church was closed, the tent and bell tower were demolished, and the building was turned into a dormitory. By 1960, the church had been demolished. The idea of its restoration emerged after the collapse of the USSR. In November 1996, the Government of Moscow decided to allocate a site for the recreation of the monument of Russian wooden architecture. A new church was built according to Shekhtel's drawings by architects A. V. Bormotov and V. I. Yakubeni near the former site and was consecrated on April 20, 1997.