The Church of Elijah the Prophet has a long history. In the distant 1715, on the spot where now stands the Church, away from the hail of Peter, it was decided to base powder factories. On the territory of Okhta plants in 1717 a chapel was built of wood and consecrated in the name of St. Prophet Elijah.

The chapel was pulled down in 1721, and began the erection of a wooden Church. Consecrated the Church in 1722. Subsequently, the wooden Church was enlarged and put on a stone Foundation, built a warm winter limit, which was consecrated in the name of St. Dmitry of Rostov, was founded in the Church's small cemetery fence. The construction of the Church in the form in which it appears to us now, was begun in 1782 by the architect of Lviv N. And. The construction was completed in 1785 and in the same year was consecrated.

By architect Demertsov in the early 19th century to the Church of Elijah was built and consecrated in honor of St. Prince Alexander Nevsky warm chapel. The main volume of the Church is warm and the chapel were built back to back, though not of one piece. Ionic columns adorn the facades of the chapel: North and South. In 1875-1877, the chapel was United with the main building by building in the Western part of the temple porch and the altar in the Eastern part of the ledge. At the beginning of the 20th century the Church underwent another restructuring, the bell tower was built up on one tier and changed the shape of the dome.

In 1923, on 8 may, the Church of Elijah received the status of Cathedral. But in July 1938 the Cathedral was closed, the building of the Cathedral was made part of the local anti-aircraft defense. The building of the temple in 1974, survived the fire.

The Russian Orthodox Church, the Church was returned at the end of the last century, in 1988. First service after her return, was made on 22 December of the same year, in the chapel of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky, in the following year, in August, was consecrated the temple. Since then, the temple is full liturgical life. Small and main chapels make up the temple complex. The main altar was consecrated in honor of St. prophet Elijah, small – in honor of Holy Martyr Paraskeva and blessed Grand Prince. Alexander Nevsky.

At the head of the beginning of restoration of the Church was Archpriest Alexander Budnikov. It gave after half a century of oblivion new life to the Church. In September 1988, at the time of opening, and now the father of Alexander is the Abbot of the temple.

Parishioners in the majority are inhabitants of the residential district of Saint-Petersburg Rzhevka-Powder, but as before, I love to visit the temple and citizens from all districts of St. Petersburg and the surrounding area. Pilgrims from foreign countries and Russian cities continuously gather in order to worship the relic of St. Petersburg suburbs.

Now in the Leningrad region and St. Petersburg one of the largest deaneries is Bolsheokhtinsky deanery. It is the Church of St. Elijah the prophet - the center of the deanery since 1977. The composition of the Bolsheokhtinsky rural Dean of the district is comprised of 23 ward with twenty-existing temples, eight wickets temples and six wickets chapels.

For all, without exception, exists in the Church library, which has about 9 thousand works of Orthodox art. For adults and children, a Sunday school courtyard at the temple, which is one of the best in St. Petersburg on the organization of the educational process and in scale. Due to the current at the Church of the pilgrimage service, constantly visited the Holy places abroad and in Russia.

The Church of Elijah the Prophet, built in the spirit of early Russian classicism and is a circular rotunda, framed by a colonnade, consisting of 16 ionic columns. The walls yellow. Round window – arched top and bottom are between two columns. Round the balustrade is held on the edge of the roof. On the roof, closer to the center is black the squat dome on a low drum. A flashlight with a cross crowns the dome. Hall, symbolizing the sky, painted blue. The image of the Savior is written in the center of the ceiling.