The construction of Yaran began at the site where the Assumption Cathedral now stands. The location was chosen wisely: the fortress surrounded by wooden walls was protected to the south by a deep ravine, to the west by a river, and to the east by dense forests. Such fortresses were built throughout Russia: a high palisade with strong gates, towers with loopholes, defensive and service buildings, a governor's office, and a mandatory church, which in Yaran was the Assumption Church. Over time, the fortress transformed into the trading city of Yaran. Trade became the main occupation of the townspeople, and the local merchants gradually invested capital in handicraft production, and later in factories. With the growth of wealth, Yaran entrepreneurs actively engaged in charity, building hospitals, supporting schools, and donating to churches. Thus, the Assumption Cathedral was built, consecrated in the name of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The wooden predecessor of the Assumption Church is first mentioned in documents from 1601. Almost two centuries later, in 1790, Bishop Lavrenty granted permission to build a new stone church on the site of the old cathedral. The new cathedral was built on donations from the city's residents. Nine years earlier, in 1781, the townspeople jointly built the Cemetery Church. The Assumption Church was initially planned as a church for the military garrison of the fortress. The building's design was developed by local architect Filimon Roslyakov, who worked in the classical style.

The exterior of the new cathedral reflected the trends of church architecture of that time: strict and solemn classicism replaced baroque. Yaran was known for its benefactors, and helping churches was considered an honor. Merchant Roshchin was awarded for his contribution to the construction of churches and other good deeds. In 1817, a warm brick church of the Transfiguration of the Lord was built next to the Assumption Cathedral, which was closed and destroyed in the 1930s and 1950s.

After the October Revolution, churches in Yaran began to close. The persecutions also affected Archbishop Eusebius, who was arrested and shot in 1937. The Assumption Cathedral is considered the only one in Yaran that was not closed to believers, although there are reports that it was closed in the 1930s and reopened in the 1940s. The facades and interior decoration of the cathedral have been preserved in their original form. Archimandrite Makary Korobeynikov, the rector of the cathedral from 1993 to 1997, left a good memory among the parishioners.

In 2012, the Assumption Cathedral became the cathedral of the Yaran and Luz Diocese. Its architecture is in the classical style, with clear and strict proportions. The cathedral, even without the lost bell tower, remains one of the architectural dominants of the city. The building has the shape of a one-story square with a large light drum-rotunda covered by a dome. The interior of the cathedral, with its carved columns and rich iconostasis, resembles a museum exhibition. The cathedral houses an ancient icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands, which is protected from restoration. According to legend, it was found by the builders of the fortress and has since protected the city.