Church of the "Joy of all who sorrow" icon in Zatsepskaya Square

Церковь Флора и Лавра была основана на Зацепе в 1625 году, когда ямщики переселились сюда с Полянки, создав Коломенскую-Ямскую слободу. Ямщики почитали святых Флора и Лавра, так как они считались покровителями домашних животных, особенно лошадей. Первоначально церковь была деревянной, но она сгорела в 1738 году.

На её месте в 1739 году построили новый каменный храм, освящённый в честь иконы Божией Матери «Всех скорбящих Радость». В XIX веке здание перестроили в стиле ампир. В 1835 году архитектор Константин Орденов перестроил колокольню, приделы и трапезную, а в 1861–1862 годах изменился и основной объём здания. В 1909 году добавили западные притворы.

В первые десятилетия советской власти храм использовали как склад церковных ценностей. В 1937 году службы прекратились, а здание превратили в фабрику металлографических и гравёрных работ. Вибрация оборудования и химические испарения нанесли серьёзный вред стенам и оставшимся росписям. В 1957 году были разрушены верхние ярусы колокольни. Лишь в 1991 году церковь вернули Русской православной церкви.

In the 17th century, Zatsepskaya Square was one of the largest customs control points in Moscow. According to one legend, in order to handle the traffic of horse carts and to prevent crowding, a chain was stretched along the street, so merchants who arrived in Moscow with goods had to wait 'behind the chain' (or 'za tsepyu' in Russian). Another theory behind the name is that officials could catch merchants' carts up ('zatsepit'), i.e. stop them for inspection. Traditionally, a church was supposed to be built at any city's entrance; the one in Zatsepskaya Square was dedicated to Saints Florus and Laurus. Back in the late 16th century, shortly after the construction of Zemlyanoy Gorod ('Earthworks Fortress'), a new city border surrounded by a moat, postriders moved here from Moscow's Polyanka district, founding the Kolomenskaya Yamskaya Sloboda ('postriders' settlement'). A part of Dubininskaya Street was known by that same name until 1922. The postriders built the first wooden church dedicated to St. Florus and Laurus, who were considered the patrons of livestock, and especially horses. During the Time of Troubles, the church burned down, and in 1628, a new temple was built, dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul this time with a separate chapel in honor of Florus and Laurus. This building also burned down in 1738, and a stone church was constructed to replace it. It was re-dedicated again: the church's main altar now honored the 'Joy of All Who Sorrow' icon, while its two chapels commemorated St. Florus and Laurus and St. Peter and Paul respectively. The church's final layout took shape in the 19th century: a refectory with chapels and a belfry were added in 1835, and a new quadrangle section was constructed to replace the old one in 1861-62. The church is designed in the Empire style. Its interior decorum is quite modest, but its size makes it to stand out as the focal point of the entire Zatsepskaya Square. The church stayed open longer than other temples in its district, but it was still closed in 1938. The building was transformed into an engraving workshop. Its interiors were destroyed, the main hall was divided into several levels, the cupola were knocked off, the belfry was demolished leaving only the ground floor, and many facade parts were lost. The surrounding buildings, including the former home of the clergy north of the church were torn down. A reversing rail loop for trams was constructed around the building. Because of the vibration, the building received cracks, poisonous vapors damaged the walls, and the land was contaminated with harmful waste. Only since 1991, the restoration began, the factory left. By the 850th anniversary of Moscow, the church returned its historical appearance, the head and the bell tower were restored .The restoration of the interior decorum is now in progress.