The monument is dedicated to the patroness of Krasnodar, Saint Catherine the Great Martyr, and was installed in April 2009 on the city's main street. The eight-meter statue, created by Moscow sculptors Daria Uspenskaya and Vitaly Shanov, rises on a bell-shaped rotunda. The rotunda is adorned with figures of cherubs, and anyone can enter inside to feel the saint's protection. The monument was consecrated by Metropolitan Isidore, and nearby are fountains with nighttime illumination.

In Kuban, the great martyr has long been revered as a model of piety and a helper in good deeds. She lived in the 4th century in Alexandria and suffered for her Christian faith at the age of 18. Her memory is preserved among Christians around the world. The saint was the heavenly patroness of Empress Catherine II, who in 1792 granted lands in Kuban to the former Zaporizhian Cossack army. The city that arose on these lands was named Ekaterinodar, later renamed. Thus, the history of Krasnodar is connected with the names of the great martyr and the Russian empress.

The eight-meter bronze monument towers over the square. Saint Catherine the Great Martyr is depicted on a pedestal shaped like a bell. The sculpture is made in accordance with Orthodox iconography: the image of the saint is modest and fragile, holding a cross, with a crown on her head. She is believed to have been the daughter of the ruler of Alexandria, Egypt, Constas. The bell-shaped pedestal is decorated with figures of angels in niches, emphasizing the refinement of the saint's image.

The creation of the monument took a year and a half. The composition is conceived not only as a monument: citizens can enter inside the bell-shaped pedestal and feel under the protection of Saint Catherine.

The modern appearance of the sculptural composition, which harmoniously fits into the city's landscape, is complemented by a cascade of fountains with colored lighting. The monument looks especially impressive in the evening.

On the same axis as the monument stands the Triumphal Arch, known as the Tsar's Gate. It was destroyed during the Soviet years and restored before the unveiling of the saint's sculpture.

The monument in the life of Krasnodar

There is a legend that Saint Catherine the Great Martyr helps those who pray to her find a life partner. The monument has become a traditional place for newlyweds who come here on their wedding day. Passing under the figure of the saint, lovers ask for blessings and the strengthening of their union.

The monument to the great martyr is a tribute of love and respect to the patroness of the city, Saint Catherine, a symbol of the revival of the Orthodox faith in a city once called Ekaterinodar.