On Nevsky Prospekt, almost in front of the Kazan Cathedral, is the oldest Catholic church of St. Petersburg - St. Catherine of Alexandria. Even Peter I planned to build on the Nevsky Prospekt temples belonging to different religions, to bring in a new city representatives of different faiths. The architect Trezzini project was carried out the first Catholic church of St. Petersburg, but it was not implemented. During the reign of Empress Anna Ivanovna Catholic community has been allocated land under construction. The temple was built in 1763-1783 by the architects Antonio Rinaldi and Jean-Baptiste Valen de la Mothe in the style of early classicism.

The church is one of the largest churches in St. Petersburg. The main facade of the temple is a ceremonial arch, resting on free-standing columns. She was crowned by a huge attic, the top parapet is decorated with figures of angels and evangelists. Temple of arches connected with the church buildings (for receiving, conceived Trezzini), in the lower floors were arranged arcades. Originally, the house had three stories, then still unfinished two floors. The houses were built in the early 50s of the eighteenth century under the leadership of Antonio Rinaldi. From church houses connected by stone walls, which made the arch gate.

The church was consecrated on October 7, 1783 in honor of St. Catherine of Alexandria, patron saint of Catherine II.

The interior of the church was carried out with exceptional refinement, he was decorated with monumental paintings, stained-glass windows and numerous sculptures. Large image of St. Catherine by artist Mettenleyterom and presented Empress Catherine II, was placed above the main altar of the church. In the late 20-ies of the nineteenth century, the walls and columns supporting the high arch of the temple were decorated with artificial marble. However, the temple was established luxury made in Italy marble throne. Above the altar and placed a crucifix made from sketches IP Vitali. The pride of the temple has become a beautiful organ, made by German craftsmen on request. The temple is the property of the church and the library, which has more than 60 thousand books published in thirty languages. The church was organized in various schools and grammar schools.

The church was visited by many celebrities - Adam Mickiewicz, Theophile Gautier, Franz Liszt, Honore de Balzac, Alexandre Dumas, and others. It was buried in the Polish king Stanislaw August Poniatowski and Stanislaw Leszczynski, French General Jean-Victor Moreau, on the side of the anti-Napoleonic coalition. Here Dantes married here E.N.Goncharovoy. There was the funeral of the builder of the famous temple of St. Petersburg, St. Isaac's Cathedral, the French architect Montferrand.

After the October Revolution of 1917 and the Church of St. Catherine was the same as with many other churches of St. Petersburg and Russia. In September 1938 the church was closed. He was turned into a warehouse, is located Directorate Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism. Gone library lost a magnificent interior decoration, the body has been damaged. In the second half of the twentieth century it was decided to transfer the church State Philharmonic. Shostakovich, to open it in the organ hall. Restoration works were started, but in 1984 a fire destroyed everything that has been done and what still remained of the old decoration of the temple.

In the early 90-ies the church was handed over to the Catholics of St. Petersburg, and in 1992 there were renewed worship. Today the community of the Church of St. Catherine are about six hundred people, most of them - the Russians. But among the congregation, there are those who speak English, Polish, French, Spanish and Korean, so there are daily services in different languages ​​and in Russian, as well.