The cloister consisted of two equal square areas, a monastery for men and a nunnery for women, separated by a road to the cemetery.

The cloister, which came to be known as the St Nicholas Monastery of the Edinovertsy, boasted the largest collection of Old Believer literature (the Khludov bequest) and as many as 1,300 ancient icons.

After the October Revolution the St. Nicholas Monastery was occupied by the Obnovlentsy, while the icons and the books were taken to the State Historical Museum and the Tretyakov Gallery.

The two parts of a single temple are currently separated by a thick brick wall, and compartments are occupied by different denominations.

The cemetery is also noted as a place where the first Eternal flame in Moscow was kindled in order to commemorate the World War II dead.