The most famous catholic church in Irkutsk is the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Catholic Church which is a protected building located in the historic centre of the city. The original church here was built in the mid-19th century by the local Polish community, most of whom ended up in Irkutsk as a result of their exile for participating in the Polish uprising of 1830. The current neo-gothic version was built as a replacement between 1881 and 1884.

During the Soviet Period the church was closed and since 1978 it has been home to the organ hall of the philharmonic. Today however an agreement has been reached where the local Catholic community are able to hold services at the former church when it is not being used for concerts.