In 1862, the authorities of Geneva allocated a plot of land to the Orthodox community for the construction of a church on the site of a former early Christian cemetery and the monastery of Saint Victor, which existed until the 15th century.

Thanks to the efforts of Archpriest Athanasius Konstantinovich Petrov, funds were raised in Russia to erect the majestic church. It is believed that its first design was developed by Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna, the daughter of Emperor Nicholas I. The detailed plan was created by David Ivanovich Grimm, a professor of architecture at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, and the construction was overseen by Geneva architect Jean-Pierre Guibert.

The laying of the first stone took place on September 14/26, 1863, and the consecration of the church occurred on September 14/26, 1866, in honor of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

In 1916, on the fiftieth anniversary of the church, at the initiative of Archpriest Sergey Ioannovich Orlov, all three naves were expanded and a bell tower with five bells was added above the central porch.

The church, built in the ancient Moscow style, is made of Swiss stone. Its walls are adorned with crosses made of gray marble, and nine gilded domes rise above the building. The temple is surrounded by a garden where flowers and bushes harmonize with its walls.

The structure consists of a main nave with a central vault and two side chapels, separated by massive columns of linked columns. Entrance is through the porch and narthex, leading to the nave and chapels.

The wall decorations are executed in the ancient Russian style with Byzantine influence and include ornaments and the Greek monogram of Christ. The vaults are adorned with golden stars on a blue background. These works belong to the artist Joseph Benzoni from Lugano.

On the fresco of the central vault, the Lord Almighty is depicted, surrounded by seraphim, with a blessing hand and an earthly globe. In the corners of the vault are images of the four evangelists with their symbols. These images were created by Professor Giacomo Donati from Lugano.

The single-tier iconostasis made of white Carrara marble was carved by German sculptor B. Genneberger. The icons of Christ and the Virgin Mary, as well as the icons of the Exaltation of the Cross and Saints Cyril and Methodius, are the work of Nikolai Andreyevich Koshelev. Prince Sergey Mikhailovich and Princess Anna Alexandrovna Golitsyna donated the kiots for the icons of the Virgin of the Quick Hearer and the Great Martyr Panteleimon, which were donated by Russian monks from Athos.

In May 1868, Archpriest Athanasius Petrov baptized and conducted the funeral for Sonya Dostoevskaya. In 1896, Archpriest Nikolai Apraxin married Mikhail Vrubel and Nadezhda Zabela, as well as the future philosopher Nikolai Lossky. In 1905, the church held the funeral for Alexander Scriabin's daughter, Rimma.

Many famous personalities have visited here, including Nikita Magalov, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, and Mstislav Rostropovich.