In 1707, according to a document from the state archive of ancient acts, Peter I issued a decree to build a hospital in a suitable location for the treatment of the sick. This order led to the opening of the first state medical facility in Russia.

The organization of the hospital's work, which began functioning in 1706 in Lefortovo, the oldest district of Moscow, was headed by Nikolai Lambertovich Bidloo. The Dutch physician was the court doctor of Peter I and later became the chief physician of the Lefortovo hospital, holding this position until the end of his life.

Initially, the medical complex included a wooden building with a small church. Other buildings housed laboratories, wards, rooms for student interns, an anatomical theater, and other facilities. Nearby was a garden where staff grew medicinal herbs.

In 1712, the first certified doctors graduated from the hospital school, which later became the Military Medical Academy.

The central stone building of the hospital was constructed between 1798 and 1802 according to the design of architect Ivan Yegotov. Later, four more buildings were added, and by the 20th century, there were 22 departments.

Throughout its history, the Lefortovo hospital has saved many lives, especially during wartime, such as the Patriotic War of 1812, the Russo-Japanese War, and World War I. Doctors worked in a high-pressure environment, receiving hundreds of wounded daily. During the Great Patriotic War, about four million people passed through the hospital.

This success earned the medical facility a new name, the Main Military Hospital of the Red Army. Over its history, it has changed its name nearly ten times. In 1946, the hospital was named after Academician Nikolai Nilovich Burdenko, the founder of Soviet neurosurgery.

Today, it is the largest military medical institution in the country, comprising 119 departments and 19 medical-diagnostic centers, employing around 400 specialists.