The Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky has an unusual and unique history, which was long restored by the sisters of the Novo-Tikhvin Monastery. In 1809, Emperor Alexander I issued a decree to establish the monastery. The main church was decided to be dedicated to Saint Prince Alexander Nevsky, the heavenly patron of the emperor, in gratitude to the monarch.

Construction of the cathedral began in 1814, but after 20 years it had to be dismantled due to cracks in the walls caused by poor masonry. By that time, the number of sisters in the monastery had significantly increased, and they needed a more spacious church. A new cathedral was laid in 1838, designed by Ural architect Malakhov and St. Petersburg architects Visconti and Charlemagne.

After restoration, the exterior of the cathedral has hardly changed, but the interior decoration has become completely different. Before the revolution, the church was famous for its frescoes, but during the time it served as a warehouse, they almost disappeared. New paintings were done in the Byzantine traditions of the 13th-14th centuries. Sister Devona, the senior icon painter, notes that they were inspired by the Church of Saint Sophia in Constantinople and the Chora Monastery. A feature of the painting is the large images, such as the face of the Savior, about 5-6 meters high, and a figure 11 meters tall. Work began last spring and was completed just days before the church's opening. Sixty icon painters and about 100 assistants worked on the frescoes, including novices from the monastery and specialists from Moscow, the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, St. Petersburg, and Minsk. The walls were faced with marble and onyx, and the floor was made of garnet. The stones were brought from Italy, as no minerals of the required quality were found in the Urals. The iconostasis required marble in white and pink shades. The cathedral doors are adorned with carved wooden patterns.

On May 19, 2013, the cathedral was consecrated by Patriarch Kirill. The abbess of the monastery, Igumenia Domnika, noted that the consecration took place on the birthday of Saint Tsar Nicholas. The church is named in honor of Saint Prince Alexander Nevsky, as the monastery was established by the decree of Alexander I, and the sisters wanted to express their gratitude by naming the church after his patron. The abbess also reminded of the sisters' feat: in 1918, when the royal family was in Yekaterinburg, two novices brought food daily to the emperor and his family. According to some reports, they were shot for this.