In the center of Simferopol lies Victory Square, where a T-34 tank is installed in memory of the soldiers who fell during the liberation of the city in April 1944. Previously, the main cathedral of the city, dedicated to Saint Alexander Nevsky, stood at this site.

The history of the cathedral is full of drama. Catherine the Great proposed its construction, but due to the death of Potemkin and the empress herself, work did not begin. In 1804, priests appealed to the governor to start construction. Architect Karasev developed a project, but it was not approved. A new project was created by L. I. Rusko, and in 1810 the foundation of the church was laid.

Construction progressed slowly due to a lack of funds. In 1812, war began, and work was halted. In 1813, a storm destroyed the roof, and the church remained unfinished. In 1816, a commission decided to dismantle the building due to cracks. A new project was developed by I. Sharleman, and in 1821 it was approved by Alexander I, who donated funds for construction.

In 1823, the construction of the new cathedral began. In 1844-1845, chapels and new iconostases were arranged. In 1860, the cathedral became a cathedral church, and it was expanded. In 1881, work began on extending the cathedral, and in 1882, a refectory and bell tower were added.

The cathedral housed many relics, including gifts from Catherine II and a charter from Alexander II. Outstanding clergymen served there, such as Nikolai Kazansky, who suffered from persecution by the Soviet authorities.

After the revolution, the cathedral was closed, and in 1930 it was destroyed. A park was established on this site, where soldiers who liberated Simferopol were buried in 1944. In 1994, a cross was erected here, and stones were laid for a chapel.

In 2000, reconstruction of the cathedral began. Today, most of the building has been restored, but work continues. In 2008, Metropolitan Vladimir visited the cathedral, and in 2014, restoration continued under the patronage of V. V. Putin. The cathedral is included in the list of monuments requiring restoration.