The bronze figure of Catherine II holds a scepter and a laurel wreath in her hands, an ermine mantle falls in folds from her shoulders, and the crown of the Russian Empire lies at her feet. The empress is depicted with the posture of a high-ranking person, but without severity and with a slight smile on her face. On her chest is visible the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. Around the pedestal are nine figures of prominent figures of the Catherine era: Field Marshal Pyotr Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky, statesman Grigory Potemkin and military leader Alexander Suvorov are facing Nevsky Prospect, poet Gavriil Derzhavin and President of the Russian Academy Ekaterina Dashkova are facing the Anichkov Palace, Prince Alexander Bezborodko and President of the Russian Academy of Arts Ivan Betskoy are facing the Public Library, polar explorer and naval commander Vasily Chichagov and statesman Alexei Orlov-Chesmensky are facing the pediment of the Alexandrinsky Theatre. On the front facade of the monument is a bronze plaque decorated with attributes of science, art, agriculture and military affairs. On the book standing among these attributes is written the word "law" and the inscription: "To Empress Catherine II during the reign of Emperor Alexander II 1873".

The monument is similar to the Millennium of Russia monument in Veliky Novgorod, which is no coincidence, since both were designed by Mikhail Mikeshin. One cannot help but note its similarity to the monument to Catherine II in Krasnodar, which was one of the sculptor's last works. According to the original plan, the monument was to be erected in Tsarskoye Selo, but later it was decided to erect it in St. Petersburg in front of the Alexandrinsky Theater. Between the Alexandrinsky Theater and the monument to Catherine II there is a park, which is called Catherine's. The events of the last years of the reign of Alexander II - in particular, the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878 - prevented the implementation of the plan to expand the memorial to the Catherine era. D. I. Grimm developed a project for the construction of bronze statues and busts depicting figures of the glorious reign in the park next to the monument to Catherine II.