Among the many pre-revolutionary churches of Irkutsk, one can unexpectedly find the Catholic Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, founded in 1881 and known as the Polish Church. The history of this church in Irkutsk is closely linked to the history of the city, which has always had many exiles and former convicts. At that time, unrest often flared up in the Catholic outskirts of Russia, which were suppressed, and their active participants were sent into exile in Siberia. Thus, a Catholic community formed in Irkutsk.

The city authorities of Irkutsk understood that all residents should have the opportunity for worship, and a decision was made to build a Catholic church. The first Catholic church appeared after the uprising of 1830, but it burned down, and in 1881 a new church was laid, consecrated in 1884 in honor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. During World War I, prisoners of war who were brought from the front to Siberia joined the Catholic community, as well as Czechoslovak legionnaires of Nicholas II and Admiral Kolchak.

With the arrival of Soviet power, the Catholic church, like Orthodox churches, was closed. However, the church was luckier: first, it housed filmmakers, then the local philharmonic. Despite this, the building gradually deteriorated and needed repairs. Unfortunately, the church was never fully returned to the Catholic Church, and services are held in the breaks between philharmonic concerts. Overall, this is not the worst fate, considering that many architectural monuments have not survived at all.