Since 1534, the construction of fortifications was led by the Italian engineer Petrok Malyy, also known as Pyotr Maloy Fryazin. The need to create a new fortification complex arose due to the population growth in Moscow and increasing external threats. The raid by the Crimean Tatars led by Mehmed-Giray in 1521 revealed the weaknesses of the city's fortifications. Petrok Malyy was able to foresee a new trend in military affairs, particularly the growing role of artillery.

In 1534, the construction of temporary wooden-earth fortifications began, adjacent to the corner towers of the Moscow Kremlin. From 1535 to 1538, a fortress wall 2,567 meters long with 12 brick towers was erected. The wall of Kitai-gorod was lower than the Kremlin's but significantly stronger, with platforms for heavy artillery, anticipating the bastion system of fortifications. The towers of Kitai-gorod, including the Varvarka Tower, resembled European "bastions" of the 16th century; they were lower and wider than traditional towers, with several tiers for artillery.

The Varvarka Tower was one of the most powerful in Kitai-gorod. It had passage gates with a side entrance, allowing for defense even after the gates were destroyed. At the base of the tower were underground galleries to prevent mining. In the 17th-18th centuries, the design of the tower changed: a tented roof appeared and an arch in the wall for passage. Above the Varvarka gates, a list of the Bogolyubskaya icon of the Mother of God was placed. Here, the events of the "plague riot" of 1771 began, when a mob killed Archbishop Ambrose, who had banned prayers. In 1880, a chapel appeared in the tower, and outside, architect N.V. Nikitin built a tented porch.

The chapel was demolished in 1928.

At the turn of the 19th-20th centuries, restoration work was carried out in Kitai-gorod under the guidance of architect S.K. Rodionov. Despite the difficult post-revolutionary conditions, he secured funding to continue the restoration. Architects I.E. Bondarenko, N.V. Markovnikov, I.P. Mashkov, A.F. Meisner, and others participated in the work. However, from 1927 to 1934, under the pretext of street widening, the ancient fortifications were demolished. Today, only a fragment of the white stone masonry of the Varvarka Tower's foundation remains, which can be seen in the underground passage of the "Kitai-gorod" metro station. In the mid-20th century, during preparations for the construction of the "Stalinist skyscraper" in Zaryadye, the foundations of the walls of Kitai-gorod were discovered. From 1968 to 1973, a new wall with embrasures, reminiscent of the fortifications of the 16th century, was built in Kitai-gorod passage.