The Znamensky Convent was originally founded on the left-bank of the River Klyazma in 1598 as a monastery. At first the monastery's buildings were made out of wood, but in 1670 the monastery's Our Lady of the Sign Church was built out of stone. By 1723 the number of monks at the monastery had decreased to such an level that it was made a podvorye (embassy-church) of the nearby Florischeva Hermitage. Despite this, later in the 18th century, a new bell tower was added to the Our Lady of the Sign Church and it was joined by St John the Apostle's church. In addition the whole complex was surrounded by a stone wall. In 1923 though the monastery was closed and given over for use as a collective farm. In the 1960s the walls and St John the Apostle's Church were knocked down and the Our Lady of the Sign Church was used as stables. However in 1994 the territory was returned to the Orthodox Church which began restoration work and in 1999 the Znamensky Convent was established.