In 1765, Catherine II granted the Stone Island to Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich,the future Emperor Paul I, who used the island, among other things, to build a church devoted to theNativity of John the Baptist. Yuri Matveyevich Felten was invited to design the church, he created an original Neo-Gothic stylization that reflected Pavel Petrovich’s fascination with Western European architecture.

The church was built in 1776 and consecrated in 1778. The building itself looks more likea German kirche than a familiar Orthodox church, thanks to its strict Gothic architecture, wherethe tower and dome are decorated with imitation tiles.

Russian tsars and generals, including A. Suvorov and M. Kutuzov, prayed in this temple.

In addition, Maltese knights took the oath here. The famous Russian poet A.S. Pushkin baptized his children in this church.