For the first time, this monastery monastery was mentioned in documents dating back to 1635. The name of the monastery is explained by the place where it was built — behind the icon row located in [Kitay-Gorod] (http://kudago.com/msk/place/rajon-kitaj-gorod/) until the middle of the 17th century. This monastery was also called a “teacher's” monastery, as a school was opened here, which later became a school. Until the early 1800s, the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy was located here, where many famous figures of science and art studied: Lomonosov, Bazhenov and others. The main monastery church, the famous Spassky Cathedral, has been rebuilt several times, and the building that has survived to this day was erected in 1720. The Zaikonospassky Monastery was plundered by Napoleon's army that entered Moscow in 1812.

After the October Revolution, the monastery was closed, the bell tower was demolished, and until the 1960s, a variety of organizations were located on the monastery territory. After the restoration of the Spassky Cathedral, the cross on the dome was replaced with a gilded pin. Today, services are held here, and a Sunday school is open on the territory of the monastery.