The Rizopolozhensky Monastery was founded in the early 13th century by Bishop John of Rostov-Suzdal. It became known for the spiritual feats of the Venerable Euphrosinia of Suzdal, in the world Feoduliya, the eldest daughter of the holy martyr Michael, the Grand Duke of Chernigov. Although Euphrosinia did not hold leadership positions in the monastery, her life and deeds significantly elevated its status, making it the best women's monastery in Rus. She foresaw the future invasion of Batu and the devastation of Suzdal, but thanks to her prayers, the monastery remained unharmed.

Stone buildings appeared in the monastery in the 16th century. The first structures from the 13th century have not survived, with the earliest being the Rizopolozhensky three-domed cathedral, dated to the first half of the 16th century. The Holy Gates, serving as the ceremonial entrance to the monastery, were erected in 1688 by three Suzdal masters: I. Mamin, A. Shmakov, and I. Gryaznov. In honor of the victory over the French in the Patriotic War of 1812, a 72-meter bell tower was built on the monastery grounds under the guidance of the Suzdal stonemason Kuzmin between 1813 and 1819.

In the 18th century, the monastery fell into decline due to the church reform of 1764, which deprived it of its estates, and a severe fire in 1769. It was classified as a 2nd class monastery and received 500 rubles a year from the state.

The monastery's flourishing period came in the 1870s and was associated with the name of Abbess Seraphima. During this time, significant construction work began. According to the project of Vladimir architect Artleben, a new stone winter Sretensky church was built between 1879 and 1881, replacing the one dismantled in 1878. In 1901, a major fire occurred in the monastery, destroying all wooden structures and damaging the stone ones. After that, the stone buildings were partially rebuilt, and instead of wooden structures, a red-brick abbey cell, a church school, and two cell buildings were erected, while the monastery courtyard was paved with cobblestones.

In 1923, a liquidation commission closed the monastery, and its buildings and property were transferred to the museum department of Glavkniga. However, from May 1924, by order of the Vladimir regional executive committee, a special division of the OGPU troops was stationed in the monastery to guard the Suzdal political isolator in the Spaso-Evfimiev Monastery.

Until the end of the 1940s, the monastery was used for security purposes. During this period, a street called "Communal Town" appeared on its territory. After the withdrawal of the guards, the monastery buildings were used as residential premises. An electric station was placed in the Rizopolozhensky Cathedral, a cinema in the Sretensky Church, and a city club in the Refectory Hall.

In 1999, the monastery was handed over to the Russian Orthodox Church and resumed as a women's monastery of the Vladimir-Suzdal Diocese.