The Krutitsky Barracks, a federal cultural heritage site, are located on the territory of the former Krutitsky Archbishop's courtyard, in its eastern part. After the dissolution of the eponymous diocese in 1798, part of the buildings of the courtyard was transferred to the Gendarmerie Corps and later passed to the military department. In the 19th century, the building was reconstructed for new needs, and today restoration is returning it to its original appearance. The Krutitsky state order building from the 17th century housed a garrison guardhouse, which was also used for holding political prisoners. Among the notable inmates of this building were Alexander Herzen, who spent seven months here in 1834 and 1835 and described it in 'Bygone Days and Thoughts', and Lavrentiy Beria, who was here for one day in 1953.

In 1839, a complex of wooden buildings of the Krutitsky Barracks, preserved to this day, was built according to the design of the famous Moscow architect Yevgraf Dmitrievich Tyurin. In 1842, the Moscow garrison battalion was stationed here, later the barracks housed the Astrakhan Grenadier Regiment, the 6th Moscow School of Ensigns, and after October 1917, the Moscow Revolutionary Machine Gun School. In 1922, the barracks were renamed to the Aleshinsky Barracks. During the Soviet era, parts of the Moscow Military District and a garrison guardhouse, which operated until the 1990s, were located here.

Currently, four one-story buildings of the 19th-century Krutitsky Barracks, located in a row at: Arbatetskaya Street, house 2, buildings No. 2, 3, 4, and 5, are under state protection. These buildings are of particular architectural interest. The architecture of all four structures is characterized by military strictness and uniformity. They have a centralized composition and a cross-shaped plan. The central room was connected to the four 'arms of the cross' by wide openings. In the center of each barrack was a large stove, the chimney of which crowned the building. The facades facing the street lack decorative embellishments but stand out with high paired central windows. Some, though not all, of the semicircular skylights of the attic rooms have been preserved, which is a rarity in modern Moscow. Such a window can be seen on the barrack of building No. 3.