The complex of military buildings in the Lefortovo area, known as the Red Barracks, was formed from the late 18th century to the 1830s. The first barrack buildings (at 2 and 3 Krasnokazarmennaya Street) were built in the 1780s as service wings of the Catherine Palace. At the end of the 18th century, under Paul I, they were repurposed for military needs and became the location for soldiers of the Training Rifle Regiment.

In the 1830s, another barrack building (4/1) was constructed nearby along the approach to the Lefortovo Bridge (now Krasnokazarmennaya Street). This two-story building, designed in the form of a closed quadrangle with an inner courtyard, is a striking example of a public building in the late Empire style. The architects of the project were Yevgraf Dmitrievich Tyurin and Konstantin Andreyevich Ton.

The facades of the building face Krasnokazarmennaya Street and 1st Krasnokursantsky Passage. The main entrance, located on the side of 1st Krasnokursantsky Passage, is adorned with bas-reliefs depicting military attributes, including Roman weaponry, banners, and musical instruments. The facades are also decorated with a stucco frieze and horizontal rustication at the first floor level.

In the mid-19th century, the building was repurposed for educational purposes. It housed the Moscow Military Department School, which was later transformed into the Moscow Military Preparatory School, and then into the 4th Moscow Cadet Corps, which became the 3rd Cadet Corps in 1892. In 1908, the corps was named after Emperor Alexander II.

The cadets of the 3rd Corps participated in battles against the Bolsheviks in October 1917. After the Bolsheviks came to power, the corps was disbanded, and the building housed units of the Red Army, including the Proletarian Rifle Division and the 2nd Guards Tamanskaya Motor Rifle Division.

The House Church of Alexander Nevsky was closed, and its interior was destroyed. Today, the building belongs to the military and houses the Separate Commandant Preobrazhensky Regiment.