The first Ilinsky church, according to documents, was located "in the city", that is, in the Kremlin, next to the Spassky Monastery and was wooden. In 1679, it was moved "to the settlement in the old fortress" beyond the Glebov gates. In place of the wooden church, the current church was built from the bricks of the collapsed Assumption Cathedral in 1699-1700. Later, an altar in honor of the great martyr George appeared, which, as sources testify, already existed in 1762. In 1806, the refectory part was expanded, and instead of one, two altars were made: in honor of the holy apostle John the Theologian and the first martyr archdeacon Stephen. Around the same time, a bell tower was built, which has not survived to this day.

By 1805, the refectory part of the Ilinsky church was expanded and decorated. After 1817, a new iconostasis was installed in the altar of the holy apostle John the Theologian, and the altar was painted. In 1875-1876, the eastern part of the church was expanded with side extensions, connecting them with arches from the north and south sides. The extensions housed altars, where the altars from the refectory of 1877 were moved. Around the church, a stone fence with a cast-iron grille was erected in 1870. After the reconstruction, the church changed significantly. Among the icons of the church, the icon of the Mother of God "Odigitria-Smolensk", large in size and of ancient writing, was especially venerated. According to legend, it was located in a stone chapel at the city gates near the Glebov tower and miraculously protected the city from enemies in 1618. The Most Reverend Simon Lagov transferred this icon to the Ilinsky church, but its current location is unknown. Services in the Ilinsky church continued even after the 1917 revolution, and it became one of the few centers of church life in Ryazan, attracting many believers. The church was closed on November 18, 1929, and was adapted for a grain storage facility. Since then, it has been rebuilt multiple times. Even in 1940, the authorities noted that "the facade has not been repaired from the prayer building", and urgent measures were taken.

For a long time, the church housed a lecture hall of the "Knowledge" society. In the 1990s, when Orthodox churches began to be returned to the Church, the Ilinsky church faced the prospect of becoming a Marriage Palace. Figures of a naked man and woman appeared on the facade of the building, but this did not happen. On February 5, 2000, the Church of Elijah the Prophet was consecrated again.