The Nikolsky church, originally called the Ioasaf Cathedral, was built in the city cemetery in 1799. In 1827, northern and southern chapels were added, and the apse was expanded, after which the church became a four-altar temple. In addition to the main altar dedicated to Saint Nicholas, there were altars in honor of the holy martyr Charalampius, the venerable John of Pechersk the Much-Suffering, and the Nativity of the Prophet John the Baptist. In 1962, after the closure of the Transfiguration Cathedral, the church was granted the status of a cathedral, and the main altar was consecrated in the name of Saint Ioasaf.

The bell tower, standing separately from the church, was built simultaneously with the cathedral. In the late 1940s, its upper tier was dismantled, and in 1990 it was restored. The iconostasis of the cathedral was created in the 19th century. Among the church's relics are the tomb of Saint Ioasaf, the sub-sacristan, the mace and the epitrachelion of Saint Ioasaf, as well as the miraculous icon of the Mother of God "Sand". The Nikolo-Ioasaf Cathedral is recognized as a monument of architecture. A Sunday school operates at the cathedral.