In 1847, the chaplain of the Russian Embassy in Paris, Father Joseph Vassiliev, received permission from Emperor Napoleon III to construct a larger church.

[2] Work on the church began in 1859 under Roman Kouzmine, chief architect of the Russian imperial Court, and the chef engineer Strohm.

During the Soviet period, it was the headquarters of an archbishop who supervised the other Russian Orthodox churches in Western Europe, independent of Moscow.

Following the downfall of the Soviet Union, the church came under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, established in 1931, located in Istanbul, independent of Moscow.

The towers are topped with gilded bulblike domes, which symbolise the flames of candles carried by the worshippers, which lift their prayers to heaven.

[6] The plan of the interior is inspired by that of the Hagia Sophia basilica in Istanbul It is highly decorated with paintings, gilding and polychrome deocoration illustrating the history and doctrines of the church.

The lower level, called the Royal Portal, presents icons which illustrate the Annunciation and the four Evagelists, painted by Evgraf Sorokine.

The upper level of the Iconostasis features a central icon of the Holy Trinity, painted by Pauel Sorokine, flanked by icons of the saints and figures from the Old Testament, The walls are further decorated with murals by D. Sorokine and Feodor Bronnikov depicting major events in the history of Christianity and important moments of the liturgy.