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Between the years 1752 and 1756, during reconstruction of the Catherine Palace, Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli placed the main staircase at a distance from the entrance gates to the palace in the southern part of the building, topped by a spired dome. Rastrelli's main staircase was destroyed at the end of the 18th century during the reign of Catherine II. In its place, Charles Cameron erected a new main staircase in the centre of the palace, in place of the Chinese Hall created by Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli. At that time the dome in the southern part of the palace was also dismantled. During the fire in 1820, the staircase suffered much damage. In 1860 - 1861, the main staircase created by Charles Cameron of precious wood was replaced by a marble staircase designed by Ippolito Monighetti. At that time, the stucco work on the walls and ceiling was completed, as well as the white plaster ornaments, a carved marble balustrade, the stucco wall decorations in the form of volutes, flourishes and garlands, decorative sculptures reminiscent of the baroque ornaments of the 18th-century halls. The staircase occupies the entire height and width of the Catherine Palace and is illuminated from the east and west by windows placed on three levels. The white marble steps rise from both sides to the central landing of the staircase. Four steps lead to the second floor from the landing to the formal rooms. The walls boast decorative 18th and 19th-century Chinese and Japanese porcelain vases and plates. The windows of the Main Staircase are dressed with crimson draperies. During World War II, fire destroyed the decorations of the Main Staircase. Only a part of the porcelain collection survives.

The stucco work of the walls, caryatids framing the doors, were restored. The marble sculptures "Sleeping Cupid" and "Waking Cupid" created by Victor Brodzsky in 1860 have been restored and placed on the landings of the staircase. In the 19th century, the ceiling was decorated with a ceiling mural by Joseph Vienna entitled "The Triumph of Venus," and the side insets were copies of paintings by Guido Reni "The Rape of Europa" and "Galatea." During World War II, they perished along with the staircase's floors. Antique paintings matching the style and size of the former paintings were selected to recreate the ceiling artwork. The central painting "Judgement of Paris," created by an unknown artist of the 18th-century Italian School, and the painting "Jupiter and Callisto," the work of artist Pietro Liberi (18th century) mounted on the eastern wall, were received from the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. The third painting, "Eneus and Venus" by an unknown artist of the 18th-century Italian School and now adorning the western wall, was donated to the Catherine Palace Museum by one Mr. Tikhomirov, a citizen of Saint Petersbourg.