In the center of St. Petersburg, on Sennaya Square, stood the majestic Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known as "Savior on Sennaya," from the mid-18th century until 1961. It was the architectural dominant of the trading square.

The church was founded between 1753 and 1765. According to one version, it was designed by B. Rastrelli, while another attributes it to A. Kvasov. The architect I. Starov was also involved in creating the church, designing single-story extensions to the bell tower and three porticos with colonnades for the western, southern, and northern entrances.

The parish actively engaged in social and educational work. The church is mentioned in classic Russian literature: in F.M. Dostoevsky's novel "Crime and Punishment" and in V.V. Krestovsky's work "Petersburg Slums."

The spiritual significance of the church for the Sennaya Square area, which is still considered challenging in terms of social adaptation, was great.

In the 1920s, all valuables were confiscated from the church. From 1932 until its closure, the church served as the cathedral of the Renovationist Leningrad Diocese. In April 1938, the church was closed and removed from protection.

It was blown up along with a neighboring apartment building on February 1, 1961, during an anti-religious campaign.

The decision to demolish was made by the chief architect of Leningrad, Valentin Kamensky. After replacing N.V. Baranov post-war, he criticized him for the shortcomings of the city's master plan and the imperfection of low-rise construction. Upon learning of Baranov's threats, Kamensky gathered his colleagues to secure the signing of a document declaring the church unnecessary in the panorama of Sennaya Square. The document was signed.

Before the explosion, the roof with copper and gold was removed from the church. Engineers calculated the explosion so that its force would go into the ground, but there are reports that the piles of St. Isaac's Cathedral were damaged. The ruins of the church were cleared, and in its place, according to Kamensky's project, the vestibule of the "Ploshchad Mira" metro station was built, which opened on July 1, 1963, and was later renamed "Sennaya Square."