The history of the Transfiguration Cathedral is closely linked to the development of the city and the region. By the decree of Catherine II on March 30, 1783, a new administrative-territorial unit, the Yekaterinoslav Governorate, was created in southern Ukraine, uniting the Azov and New Russia provinces. The governor, Prince G.A. Potemkin, was tasked with choosing a location for a new city that would become the center of the governorate.

In the decree of January 22, 1784, the location of the city was defined as follows: "The gubernatorial city named Yekaterinoslav shall be on the right bank of the Dnieper at Kaidak."

The city was to become the third capital of the Russian Empire, the "southern brother" of St. Petersburg. Plans included the establishment of a university, an academy of arts, a conservatory, the construction of the largest church in Russia, and a network of weaving factories.

These ambitious plans were to be realized by Prince Potemkin, who, despite his wealth, retained the energy of a statesman and diplomat.

According to Potemkin's vision, Yekaterinoslav was to become the second Rome and the third southern capital of the empire, with the city cathedral symbolizing Catherine's reign.

In a letter to Catherine II dated October 8, 1786, Potemkin described the cathedral as a majestic temple of the Transfiguration of the Lord, symbolizing the transformation of the country from barren steppes into a fertile land.

On May 9, 1787, Catherine II personally laid the first stone at the foundation of the cathedral's altar.

However, the plans for the full-scale construction of the city were not realized due to a lack of funds and people. The cathedral project, created by French architect Claude Giraud, was grandiose but was never implemented.

The architect Ivan Starov, appointed in 1788, redesigned Yekaterinoslav and created a more realistic project for the cathedral.

But this project was also not completed. After Potemkin's death, funding was reduced, and after Catherine II's death, it ceased altogether.

In 1805, local land surveyor Neelov created a new project for the cathedral, which was rejected by Alexander I. The development was entrusted to architect Adrian Zakharov, whose Admiralty building in St. Petersburg became a model of Russian classicism. The Transfiguration Cathedral, smaller in volume, became a distant resemblance to the cathedral in Kronstadt.

Imperial decrees did not always overcome local bureaucracy. A dispute over the cathedral's location delayed construction for years. Nicholas I decided that the cathedral could be built on the Hill, where Catherine II had laid its foundation.

On April 20, 1830, preparatory work began, and on May 22, the cathedral was re-laid. Construction was completed on May 9, 1835, and on June 29, the cathedral was consecrated. It cost 300,000 rubles, of which 100,000 were raised by local residents, and was six times smaller than the original project.

The cathedral retained the St. Petersburg style and the plasticity of Russian classicism. The ceilings and vaults were painted by academicians Bezsonov, Sazonov, and Terebenev. The walls were painted to resemble colored marble, and the iconostasis adorned the cathedral.

The cathedral was the main one in the Yekaterinoslav Governorate until the revolution. In 1915, it was visited by Nicholas II. Until 1930, the cathedral remained active.

In 1931, the first scientific-atheistic museum in the country was opened in the cathedral, and the spire was dismantled as ideologically harmful. According to the 1941 plan, the cathedral was to be demolished.

After the war, the cathedral stood empty for a long time. In 1946, the iconostasis was burned, and the frescoes were whitewashed. The cathedral was to be demolished for the construction of a microdistrict, but it became a paper warehouse.

In 1968, restoration of the cathedral began. In 1975, a museum of religion and atheism opened here.

In 1991, the cathedral was returned to the Orthodox Church. Prayers once again echoed under its vaults. The first rector was Archpriest Anatoly Severin.

The restoration of the cathedral with three chapels is nearing completion. The central one is dedicated to the Transfiguration of the Lord, the right one to Saint Nicholas, and the left one to Saint Catherine the Great Martyr. The iconostasis and frescoes have been restored.

Three archbishops are buried at the cathedral's walls: Archbishop Theodosius Makarevsky, Bishop Augustine Gulyanitsky, and a third unidentified.

The cathedral plays an important role in the revival of Orthodoxy in Dnipropetrovsk region. It was at the origins of the song festival "From Christmas to Christmas," which became nationwide. Educational and charitable work is carried out here.

By the blessing of Bishop Irinei and the efforts of the rector Archpriest Yaroslav Deneka, the Transfiguration Cathedral is once again becoming a gem of the region.