The warm cathedral dedicated to the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was consecrated in 1748 by builder Joasaph. It had two chapels: on the right was the chapel in honor of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, consecrated in 1746, and on the left, in honor of the Kikkian Icon of the Mother of God, consecrated in 1828. In 1803, the stone bell tower with battle clocks was rebuilt, which, due to its height, dominated the vast panorama of the monastery and the surrounding area. The ringing of its ten bells, including the large, polyelai, daily, 'Joasaph's', and six differently weighted bells, could be heard for many kilometers.

At the entrance to the arch of the central chapel on the left side was the Shroud with embroidered images of the Savior in the tomb, the Mother of God, John the Theologian, the righteous Joseph of Arimathea, Saint Nicholas, the myrrh-bearing women, and two Angels. This Shroud, made on crimson velvet with gold and silver, was created in the Arzamas Alexeyevskaya women's community in 1825. Nearby was an image of the Savior in a robe embroidered with gold and silver on white satin, in a silver chased frame.

The iconostases of all the chapels were arranged in a single line. The main iconostasis had five tiers, decorated with gilded carvings. In the first row to the right of the Royal Doors were: an image of the Savior with a blessing hand in a silver-gilded robe, next to it the icon of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos and the icon of the Protection of the Mother of God.

To the left of the Royal Doors in the first row was the miraculous Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in a rich silver robe, gilded through fire. On the forehead of the Mother of God was an ornament with diamonds in three rows, in the center of which was a large emerald, on the crown, a coronet, and on the shoulder, a star made of rock crystal with turquoise. Around the face of the Mother of God, the edges of the robe were adorned with large pearls, and on the head, a veil embroidered with small pearls; around the icon on a silver strip were images of miracles from it. Notably, during the fire in the cathedral sacristy on November 16, 1879, everything burned, even the ceilings cracked, but the list of the miraculous Kazan Icon of the Mother of God remained unharmed.

In the chapel of the Kikkian (Cypriot) Icon of the Mother of God was the locally revered Kikkian icon, traditionally brought by Elder Vasily (Kishkin), as well as the revered icon of the Savior sitting on the Throne, with the Mother of God, John the Baptist, and the apostles in a silver-gilded robe.