During the struggle against religion conducted by the Soviet government, most churches were destroyed in Rostov-on-Don, as in many other cities. One of the destroyed was the Sorrowful Church, dedicated to the icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow." Along with the church, the almshouse was also destroyed, but let's go in order.

The history of Christian charity in Rostov-on-Don begins with the early years of the fortress, the predecessor of the city. According to the recollections of one of the founders of the fortress, military engineer and historian Alexander Ivanovich Riegelman, two almshouses were built in 1768. Over time, the tradition of charity continued: in 1805, another almshouse was erected, which merged with the hospital in 1824. However, this was not enough, and in the second half of the 19th century, a decision was made to build a new almshouse and an Orthodox church for its wards and all who wished.

On October 24, 1879, thanks to the efforts of concerned citizens, a stone building was transferred for the new almshouse, which was named the Petropavlovsk Almshouse in honor of the Governor-General Pavel Eustafievich Kontsebu. Merchant of the second guild Gavriil Ilyich Shushpanov arranged a temporary church in one of the rooms and became the first elder. The parishioners, wishing to build a full-fledged church, appealed to the city duma. On May 11, 1889, permission was granted, and preparations for construction began. The project was entrusted to the famous architect Nikolai Alexandrovich Doroshenko, who gladly took on the work.

In 1890, the construction of the church walls began, which was consecrated in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow." In 1893, the construction was completed, and a solemn consecration took place. The church was mainly built with the funds of the first elder, merchant Shushpanov.

In 1899, a second altar in the name of Panteleimon the Healer appeared in the church, to which believers turn for help in healing. The altars were named according to the purpose of the church. Since 1900, the elder was Ivan Trifonov, but the church existed only until the arrival of the Soviet government, after which it was closed and demolished.

The church was located at the corner of Taganrog Avenue and Skobeleva Street, renamed by the Bolsheviks to Budyonovsky Avenue and Krasnoarmeyskaya Street. Now, on the site of the destroyed church and almshouse stands the "Rostov" hotel, built in 1930-1931. Thus, the Soviet government destroyed not only churches but also almshouses that helped those in need, including workers and peasants. This example shows what was happening in those years in Rostov-on-Don and in the country as a whole.