Historically, the name cemetery was applied to the whole Old Believer community, with living quarters, cathedral, almshouses, libraries, archives and the Old-Rite Institute (established in 1907).

Actual 12 hectare[1] cemetery is now a non-denominational municipal burial site; the Old Believers operate a closed spiritual community in the southern part of the historical Rogozhsky township, while Russian Orthodox church operates church of Saint Nicholas, located between the cemetery and Old Believer territory.

The new cemetery of Old Believers laid one mile east from city border, between the roads to Vladimir and Ryazan, south from the village Novaya Andronovka.

By the end of Alexander I reign, the sloboda around the cemetery grew up into a small town with five convents; informal leadership of the Cemetery was vested to Mother Pulcheria (born Pelagea Shevlyukova), and later father Ivan Yastrebov, who gained influence during the September 1812 for saving treasures of Rogozhskoe from the French troops.

Rather, they were classified as chapels and thus could not provide the full range of services expected from a church, including Holy Liturgy – at least, legally.

In 1823 Rogozhskoe was hit by the government for the first time: police searched the community, confiscated the altarpiece donated by Matvey Platov and shut down all churches.

As a result, by the 1850s Rogozhskoe clergy shrunk through natural attrition to just three priests and the government confiscated the unused St. Nicholas church in favour of more acceptable edinoverie denomination.

Old Believers of Rogozhskoe reacted by establishing a new spiritual and educational center beyond the Russian border, in Austro-Hungary, creating the Belokrinitskaya Hierarchy.

As a result, the cathedral was built with a single dome resting on an elongated, flat slab with minimalistic neoclassical finishes.

The tallest and most visible building of the Cemetery, a free-standing bell tower was built in 1908–1909, soon after the government lifted prior ban on Old Believer church construction.

In 1914–1915 the community erected a new Institute (two blocks east from the cathedral); it was closed after the revolution of 1917 and eventually converted to a municipal school.

The largest and richest family burial belongs to the Morozov dynasty – a 'cemetery within a cemetery' protected by an elaborate wrought iron canopy.