Varvarka, one of the oldest streets in Moscow, was first mentioned in 1434 as "Varyskaya" due to the burial of Saint Maxim the Blessed here. Archaeologists and historians suggest that the street may have existed earlier. According to legend, in 1380, Prince Dmitry Ivanovich's army moved along it to battle Mamai. At that time, it was called Vsekhsvyatskaya and was part of the road from Moscow to Vladimir and Ryazan.

The street runs along the edge of a hill above the Moskva River. In the 15th century, Pskovites settled here, and the hill became known as Pskovskaya Gorka. The winding route of the street follows the natural terrain. Along the river ran the lower Velikaya street, connected to Varvarka by alleys, with Zaryadye located between them. The historical layout was destroyed in the 20th century due to construction. In 1967 and 2007, the "Rossiya" hotel stood here, the largest in the world at the time of its construction. It has since been demolished.

The name of the street is associated with the Church of Saint Barbara, built in 1514 by merchants from Surazh. In the 16th century, there were dungeons and prisons nearby where arrested individuals were interrogated, giving rise to the expression "to go to Barbara for punishment." Healing herbs and roots were sold at the Varvarsky Cross, and one could consult healers here.

In the Middle Ages, the street had an aristocratic character, housing the courtyards of boyars, wealthy merchants, and foreigners. In the 16th century, the first foreign embassy in Moscow and the estate of the Romanov boyars, which later became the Znamensky Monastery, appeared nearby. Today, museums operate in the oldest buildings on Varvarka, such as the chambers of the Romanov boyars and the English Court.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the street became more commercial, and by the 19th century, it lost its former reputation, becoming known for drinking establishments and con artists. During the Soviet era, residential buildings turned into communal apartments, and from the late 1940s, their demolition began. At that time, the street was named after Stepan Razin.

Modern Varvarka begins behind Vasilievsky Spusk at the Church of Saint Barbara and ends at the metro exit. Previously, it ended at the Varvarsky Gates. A fragment of the Kitay-gorod wall at the metro exit is a result of 20th-century reconstruction, while the white-stone foundation of the Varvarskaya Tower in the underground passage is the authentic foundation from the 16th century.

Today, Varvarka has an unusual appearance: on the even side are monuments of Moscow's antiquity, such as churches and chambers, while on the opposite side are the facades of trading houses and the Gostiny Dvor. This contrast arose after the demolition of multi-story buildings on the even side in the mid-20th century. In connection with the creation of a park in Zaryadye, restoration of monuments and renewal of the street is planned in the coming years.