The church was founded in 1811 according to design of A. A. Mikhailov, the professor of the Imperial Academy of Arts, who participated in construction of St. Isaac Cathedral. In 1863, a bell tower and a chapel were built, where the image of St. Catherine was placed. At the same time, a silver Angel on a ball was installed on the dome. According to a legend, it is one of the three Angels who guard the city on the Neva. The other two Angels, gold and silver, hover over the Peter and Paul Fortress and over the Alexander Column, forming an invisible triangle connecting Vasilyevsky Island, the Central part of the city and the Petrograd side into a spiritual whole.

In connection with well-known historical events, until 1996 the laboratory of the Hydrological Institute was located in the church building, followed by the laboratory of the Geological Prospecting Institute. The interior space was heavily damaged. The main part of the church is still closed for restoration.

Nowadays, most of the restoration activities for the historical structural scheme and space-planning structure of the church has been completed, thanks to which the original wall painting with an area of 1500 m² has been revealed. Without a doubt, upon completion of the restoration activities, this church, so significant for St. Petersburg, will not leave indifferent not only believers, but also connoisseurs of classical architecture, because the original appearance of the St. Catherine Church is in no way inferior in beauty to the most luxurious cathedrals in Europe and the world.