In 1798, construction of a stone church began on the site of the Assumption Cemetery. The church was consecrated as the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Holy Mother of God in 1800.
The church was first closed down in 1920 and turned into a storage facility. At the insistence of the religious community, the church was later reopened and was active until 1941. On 10 August 1931, an explosion in the three-level belfry caused irreparable damage to the entire ensemble of the Assumption Cathedral. The church was closed after the incident, but in 1944 it welcomed parishioners again.
In 1960, the cathedral was closed again and the belfry demolished. The fence around the church and the old cemetery were also destroyed.
In 1990, with the blessing of Archbishop Leo of Novgorod and Staraya Russa, the cathedral’s main altar was dedicated to the Assumption of the Mother of God, soon after the cathedral was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church.
On 15 October 2000, the Assumption Cathedral marked its 200th anniversary, hosted by Archbishop Leo of Novgorod and Staraya Russa. Completed in 2010, restoration of the burials that had been destroyed during the period of persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church was another important event in the history of the cathedral.
