The history of Catherine Garden dates back to 1832, when on the square in front of Alexandrinsky theater the gardener Jakov Fedorov founded a garden. It was a central meadow, surrounded with the twisting paths with four exits to the square, enclosed with the decorative cast-iron railings and pavements. In 1860 the garden was re-planned and in the center of the meadow was founded the only monument to the Empress Catherine II. It was finished in 1873 by the artist Mikeshin and the garden received its name – Catherine garden. During the Soviet Period the Alexandrinskaya square was renamed after the writer Ostrovsky and the Garden was also called Ostrovsky garden, instead of monument to Catherine the Great it was planned to erect a monument to Vladimir Lenin, but this was plan was never realized.

After the Blockade of Leningrad the square ensemble was fully restored and the garden was pe-planned again, thousands of new trees and flowers were planted again. The final restorations of the Garden in 1989-2001 brought the square ensemble the original look of the year 1878, the railings were remounted and the pavements were cobbled again.  Nowadays next to the entrance to the garden from Nevsky Prospect the tourist and inhabitants of St.Petersburg are always welcome by actors in historical costumes of Catherine the Great and one of her favors, local artists present their paintings and offer tourist to make their portraits.