The church in Rome is the oldest functioning Russian church in Italy. On October 6, 1803, Emperor Alexander I approved the proposal of the Collegium of Foreign Affairs to establish it at the Russian mission accredited to the Papal throne. Necessary liturgical items made of silver, candlesticks, and a Gospel in a precious cover were taken from the abolished Zakhariev Church in St. Petersburg and the embassy church of 1788 that was not sent to Turin. The iconostasis was made specifically for this church. A priest, the young Father Vasily Ioannovich Ivanov, was also appointed.

Despite Emperor Alexander I's order to build an Orthodox church in Rome in 1803, its construction was only completed in 1828 thanks to the efforts of Prince Grigory Gagarin. Konstantin Ton designed the chapel at the mission. Subsequently, the church changed its location several times. Only in 1932 was a new church consecrated in the mansion of Maria Chernysheva, designed by architect Prince Vladimir Volkonsky.

The church was located on the first floor, with an altar section added from the courtyard side. The temple was adorned with golden mosaics and green marble. It housed a single-tier iconostasis created by Konstantin Ton. Icons created by Pyotr Basin, Karl Bryullov, Fyodor Bruni, as well as the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God brought from Athos, the Athonite image of the Mother of God "Gatekeeper," and others were kept here.