In the center of Moscow lies the ancient Vysoko-Petrovsky Monastery, founded in 1317 and a significant part of Russian history. According to one version, it was founded by Prince Ivan Kalita, while another attributes its founding to Saint Peter, the Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus. It is impossible to determine which version is correct, but that is not so important.

Initially, the monastery had a wooden church, which was burned by the Tatars during an invasion. After that, restoration began. The first stone building, a church in honor of Saint Peter the Metropolitan, was built during the reign of Vasily III by the Italian architect Alevis Friazin. The stone walls of the monastery appeared after the expulsion of the Polish-Lithuanian invaders in 1612. Under the Romanovs, the monastery significantly expanded: Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich transferred his lands to it, doubling its territory.

Representatives of the Naryshkin family, close relatives of Peter the Great, including his uncles who died during the Streltsy uprising, were buried on the monastery grounds. In 1684, the young tsar signed a decree for the construction of a stone church in honor of the Bogolyubskaya Icon of the Mother of God over their graves. During the struggle for the throne between Peter and his sister Sophia, 17-year-old Peter learned of an impending Streltsy uprising and an assassination attempt against him. In order to escape, he fled to the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. Later, as tsar, Peter I built a refectory church next to the Vysoko-Petrovsky Monastery in honor of Saint Sergius of Radonezh.

During Napoleon's invasion, the monastery suffered greatly: its sanctities were desecrated, and the monks' cells were turned into housing for the French. Here, Marshal Mortier, appointed by Napoleon as military governor of Moscow, signed death sentences for Muscovites suspected of arson. Executions were carried out at the walls of the monastery, and the dead were buried on its grounds. After the expulsion of the French, the monastery was completely restored.

The greatest trials came during the Soviet period when monks and parishioners faced persecution: six clergymen were killed, and two died in captivity. Despite this, people continued to serve God, creating an underground community and preserving their faith. Over the years of persecution, many of the monastery's sanctities were destroyed and nearly lost. Restoration has been partially carried out in our time, but it is no longer possible to fully restore the former appearance of the monastery.