The temple, built in honor of the Archbishop of Alexandria Athanasius the Great, is one of the most ancient temples of the city of Kerch, its location - the slope of mount Mithridates. At the time, lived in Kerch many Orthodox Greeks. Athanasius Starovic Marinaki left a will under which funds were allocated in the amount of 15 000 rubles, and the Church was built near the city cemetery, consecrated in honor of its patron Saint. And today his descendants sometimes visit this temple.

City cemetery occupied the Northern slope of Mithridates, it was surrounded by stone walls, gravestones were expensive, made of marble. Behind the carefully tended cemetery, it was planted with various trees and lilac bushes. Here was the monument to F. S. Tomasini and Archpriest John Company. The highest place was occupied by the graves of the teachers, where every year the funeral services were performed in the presence of teachers and students in local high schools. From the big arches walkway led straight to the temple. Along the alley, near the Church, burials of members of the Crimean war, where they lie and the hero of Sevastopol defense Lieutenant-General A. O. Kabasinski. Today, the site of this cemetery is a vacant lot.

The facade of the Church was adorned with a plaque of marble, on which was embossed a Greek inscription with the basic information about the temple: the date of construction and consecration, the name of the donor and the name of the patron Saint.

Closed cemetery Church was in 1923 October 31, due to the demolition of the cemetery, then was opened in the parish Church, and again closed in 1937 by the decision of local authorities. Opened it only during the German occupation soldiers from Romania, and since then it operates constantly.

Due to fighting, the Church building was damaged by shrapnel, after which it was restored. Now in the courtyard of the temple there is a small garden, there are old graves, many of whom are nameless, works gatehouse Sunday school and Church shop. Inside the temple is relatively small and holds about 350 people. In the temple a lot of icons, most of which are old icons brought by parishioners in the postwar period. Especially wonderful image from a mosaic of the Saviour and the Theotokos Byzantine letters. Among modern shrines interesting beautiful and richly decorated icons of the Holy Wonderworker Crimean Luke with a particle of his relics and the Pochaev Mother of God.