The Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is located at the intersection of Nikolskaya Street and Red Square, on the site of the historic battle with the Poles that took place on November 1 (October 22) 1612. At that time, the second militia was able to capture Kitai-Gorod and liberate the Kremlin. Along with the army, the miraculous image of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was brought to Moscow, in honor of which one of the leaders of the militia, Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, built a wooden church on the site of the battle in the 1620s.

In 1632, the church built by Prince Pozharsky burned down, and it was rebuilt in brick with funds from the new royal dynasty of the Romanovs. The Kazan Cathedral was consecrated in 1636 and immediately took a special place among Moscow's parish churches. Around the cathedral, a circle of zealots of ancient piety formed, which included figures such as the leaders of the Old Believers Ivan Nerонов and Archpriest Avvakum, who was arrested right here.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the appearance of the cathedral changed significantly: the church acquired features of classicism, an additional dome appeared, and a separate tent-shaped bell tower was dismantled. Instead, a new three-tiered bell tower was erected on the western side, above the porch. In the late 1920s, before the church was closed, restorer P. Baranovsky conducted measurements, revealing the preserved original masonry and decorative elements. Restoration of the church in the style of the 17th century was planned, for which later extensions were dismantled. However, the completion of the work was hindered by the reconstruction of Red Square, initiated as part of Stalin's plan to rebuild Moscow, which aimed to clear almost all of Kitai-Gorod of historical buildings. As a result, the Kazan Cathedral was demolished in 1936.

In the late 1980s, discussions began about restoring the cathedral. Thanks to the drawings and measurements by Baranovsky, his student O. Zhurin developed a project to recreate the original appearance of the church. The works were carried out in 1990 and 1993 at the expense of the Moscow government. Today, the Kazan Cathedral is once again open.