Initially, Malaya Nikitskaya was formed in the XVII century. At that time, it led to Vspolny Lane, the location of the Church of St. George the Great Martyr, built in 1779 and destroyed in the thirties of the last century. Then it was called Georgievskaya or Yegoryevskaya.

Since the 19th century, Malaya Nikitskaya leads to the Garden Ring, being a kind of backup of Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street. In 1948, the authorities of the capital renamed it Kachalova Street - in honor of the famous Russian actor, who became popular due to his participation in the famous Stanislavsky troupe. In 1994, the authorities of the capital returned the street to its historical name.

It is noteworthy that many famous theatrical, political and literary figures lived on Malaya Nikitskaya at different times. In particular, the houses of writer Leonid Andreev and the brilliant composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky were located here. One of the houses on Malaya Nikitskaya Street belonged to Lavrenty Beria.

Many elements of ancient architecture have been preserved in the modern appearance of Malaya Nikitskaya, but at the same time it is one of the most modern in Moscow.