By the end of the 19th century, two parish churches in the city could no longer meet the needs of the population. In August 1891, His Grace Justin, visiting Kurgan, noted in his travel notes that local residents expressed a desire to build a cemetery church to attach the villages that previously belonged to the Cathedral and the Trinity Church, which was undergoing major repairs.

The construction of the railway contributed to the increase in Kurgan's population. The existing churches could not accommodate everyone, and the clergy could not perform the necessary rites in time. Kurgan's chief of police, I.Ya. Trofimov, an energetic and educated man, set the goal of achieving the construction of a new church. In January 1895, he informed Archbishop Agafangel about the problem, and he suggested organizing a fundraising campaign for the construction of the church, donating 100 rubles himself. In the house of D.I. Smolin, 18,000 rubles were immediately raised, thanks to generous donations from merchants and other townspeople.

It was planned that the new church would be built on the cemetery, which had been closed in 1860, with the intention of eventually turning it into a garden and building a parish church. In July 1895, the city Duma chose a location for construction on Horse Square, so that the altar would face the cemetery, and the body of the church would face the square. The construction committee entrusted the design to city architect Nikolai Alexandrovich Yushkov, who went to St. Petersburg and Moscow for consultations. The project was completed on January 2, 1896, and approved by the archbishop on March 6.

The solemn laying of the church took place on June 2, 1896, gathering several thousand spectators. After a procession from the Nativity of the Mother of God Cathedral, led by Archpriest Ioann Volkov, the service and laying took place. Trenches were dug for the foundation, a cross for the altar and a marble cornerstone with inscriptions were prepared. After the moleben, water and oil were blessed, and the place of laying and all items were sprinkled. Under the place where the altar was to stand, a cross was installed, the cornerstone was laid, surrounded by bricks and sealed with lime, in which coins were placed. Then they walked around the trenches and began the service, after which all who wished approached the cross and were sprinkled with holy water. To the sound of bells and the singing of choirs, the procession returned to the cathedral.

D.I. Smolin took on the responsibilities of the construction custodian, generously financing the project. In his will, he stipulated the completion of the church's construction, instructing his heirs to finish it if the funds raised were insufficient. After his death, his son Fyodor Dmitrievich Smolin took over the care of the construction. By mid-1901, the church building was completed, with only interior work, flooring, and the installation of the iconostasis remaining. Fyodor Dmitrievich maintained a choir of singers, which cost him up to three thousand rubles a year. A school was opened at the church, where 130 boys were educated.

On August 30, 1901, the crosses were raised on the church. Interior work continued for almost a year. On June 22, 1902, the church was consecrated, attended by Bishop Antoniy from Tyumen. About 30,000 rubles were spent on construction, and about 70,000 rubles on interior decoration.

The church was made of stone, plastered, painted, and decorated with paintings. The roof was made of iron, and the dome and bell tower were zinc-coated. The architectural style combined Romanesque and ancient Russian features, modified by the architect's creative pursuits. The church's decoration was done by master Maxim Ivanovich Richter.

After the construction was completed, F.D. Smolin became the church elder, maintaining the choir of singers. In September 1909, he received the Order of St. Anna of the III degree. After him, Ivan Yakovlevich Trofimov became the elder. Services were conducted by priests from the Nativity of the Mother of God Cathedral. From December 25, 1903, Priest Nikolai Bogoslovsky began to hold services in the church. By decree of the Holy Synod on November 16, 1905, an independent parish was established.

F.D. Smolin built houses for the priest and deacon, as well as for the school. The psalmists rented apartments or lived in the church's outbuilding. The houses were designed by N.A. Yushkov, who also made the project for the extension to the church's vestibule. The work was approved and completed in 1913.

The church had a closed cemetery, where burials were prohibited, except for exceptions for Dm. Iv. Smolin and his wife. The parish included villages, a railway settlement, and city residents. The number of households in the parish ranged from 582 to 749, and the number of parishioners from 3,600 to 4,600 people. Donations were important, as the clergy did not receive salaries.

The Alexander Church was closed on October 23, 1929. In the spring of 1930, the crosses and bells were removed, and in the summer, the dome and bell tower were dismantled. The bricks were used for the construction of the People's House named after V.I. Lenin.

Attempts were made to house a museum in the former church building, but the premises were unsuitable. In 1951, an exhibition of the Kurgan Regional Local History Museum was opened here, which included a popular planetarium.

In the late 1980s, efforts began to return the church. The regional museum supported the claims, and in the summer of 1989, the building was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church. The first service took place on December 6, 1991.

The history of the church is linked to the square, originally called Cemetery Square, then Horse Square, Alexander Square, and in 1920, M.S. Uritsky Square. In 1921, the first monument in Kurgan was erected here. Now the area of the former square and cemetery is occupied by a city garden.