One of the first residential areas of St. Petersburg was the quarters located to the west of the Peter and Paul Fortress. It was there that a small church first appeared, followed by a three-altar wooden church, which preceded the construction of the Prince Vladimir Cathedral.

The modern cathedral began construction in 1740, almost forty years after the city was founded. However, the construction faced difficulties: a year after the work began, a palace coup occurred, power changed hands, and the construction of the church was halted for more than twenty years.

The architect of the church was the famous Italian master Antonio Rinaldi, known for his projects of the Bolshoi Theatre, the Grand Palace in Gatchina, the Palace of Peter III, and several buildings in Tsarskoye Selo and Oranienbaum.

The cathedral has been repeatedly rebuilt and completed up until the beginning of the 21st century: the exterior facade was updated, chapels were relocated, the iconostasis was changed, choirs, a bell tower, two chapels, and a fence were added.

Inside the cathedral, there are three naves: a wide central one and two smaller side naves. There are high arches, four side domes, and one large dome in the center. There are no frescoes typical for Orthodox churches, but the iconostasis is richly decorated, and there are many significant icons in the cathedral. At one time, the icon of the Kazan Mother of God was housed here. The interior of the church is dominated by blue and white colors.

In the recently restored Prince Vladimir Cathedral, there are now more than 3,000 images of saints. Among the main relics are the icon of Prince Vladimir with a particle of his relics, a relic icon with 49 particles of the relics of holy servants of God, and the miraculous icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God.