The Holy Protection Church in Zhizdra was built in honor of the salvation of Emperor Alexander II. Its construction was financed by the city community and donors, and the consecration took place in 1877. The main altar was dedicated to the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, and there were side altars in honor of St. Mary of Egypt, Saints Cosmas and Damian, Saints Peter and Paul, and St. Tikhon of Zadonsk. The project was executed in an eclectic style.

The first rector of the church was Priest Dmitry Nikolsky until 1892, followed by Pyotr Vinogradov. During the Bolshevik persecutions, all churches in the city, including the Protection Church, were closed. The last rector, Archpriest Nikolai Zelepugin, who was respected by the parishioners, was repressed in 1937.

Before 1917, in Zhizdra, the center of the Kaluga province, there was the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, three parish churches, a wooden church in honor of Sergius of Radonezh, which served only on the feast day, as well as domestic churches in the prison and school.

Before the war, residents noticed an unusual phenomenon: the church's bell tower, devoid of bells, began to emit a melodic ringing. This was explained by vibrations from the diesel power station coinciding with the building's resonance. People considered this a portent of misfortune, which was confirmed during the Great Patriotic War.

During the occupation, the church was open (1941-1943), and Archpriest Gavriil Fateev served there, helping Soviet prisoners of war. Upon retreat, the Germans blew up the church in 1943. By the 1980s, all places where churches had been were built over, except for the site of the Protection Church. Believers believed that this place was preserved by the Mother of God. In 1988, thanks to the efforts of an initiative group, a community was registered.

Since March 1989, Priest Konstantin Hipp has been the rector of the parish. In the summer of the same year, excavations of the old church's foundation were conducted. Despite its unsuitability for construction due to damage, the work carried out by elderly parishioners attracted attention, and a plot was allocated for a new church. The project of the complex, combining traditional Russian architecture and modern design, was executed on a charitable basis under the guidance of O.I. Kondratiev.

In 1990, a parish house was built, where services have been held since 1991. Currently, the house contains a baptistery, Sunday school, administrative offices, and a library. On June 15, 1992, Archbishop Kliment performed the rite of laying the church's foundation and installed a cross at the future altar's site. The first service in the unfinished church took place on Easter 1995. The church was consecrated on July 4, 1998, by Bishop Kliment.

The southern side altar in honor of the New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Land was consecrated on September 23, 2002, and the northern side altar in honor of St. Righteous John of Kronstadt, on May 31, 2010.

The parish has a Sunday school, a tourist club, a pilgrimage service, and actively engages in social work with the elderly and low-income individuals. In the summer, a children's tent camp is organized near the walls of Orthodox monasteries, and members of the tourist club go on hikes. The parish collaborates with the newspaper 'Iskra,' publishing materials on spiritual topics and events from the life of the parish.