Today, looking at the majestic and beautiful church, it is hard to believe that it once lost almost all the attributes of an Orthodox temple and resembled an ordinary secular building. The Cathedral of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was built in the village of Vyatskie Polyany from brick between 1818 and 1826. A century later, during the Soviet era, only a dilapidated shell remained: the building lost its bell tower, domes, grilles, doors, and even windows. The church was restored by parishioners and patrons after it was returned to the Church in 1987. Today, the Nicholas Cathedral has been restored to nearly its original form. Contemporaries noted that every brick and gram of mortar was laid with love. The main volume of the church represents a traditional square base with a massive drum of an octagon. The structure is topped with a faceted spherical dome with a forged cross. The refectory building is elongated and ends with a three-tiered bell tower that replicates the appearance of the bell tower from 1893.

The architecture of the Nicholas Church reflects the features of Moscow or Naryshkin Baroque. The church stands out with its major appearance, light tones of the facades, and clear division into parts. In accordance with the Naryshkin style, the building is large but does not strive upwards; it stretches along the embankment. The bell tower and main dome are visible from various points in the city, making the cathedral a bright accent against the backdrop of the urban architecture of Vyatskie Polyany. In the 1930s, the three-tiered bell tower was used for parachute training jumps, but after an unsuccessful jump, the belfry was destroyed. Locals recount that the bell tower served as a signal tower: in frost, a red flag was raised, indicating the cancellation of classes.

During the Soviet years, the cathedral remained silent for more than half a century, and only in 1989 did its bells ring out again. They were purchased in Voronezh with donations from the townspeople. The Nicholas Church became the first in the Kirov region to buy bells from this city. The names of generous donors were inscribed on the bells. In the summer, the church found its voice, and the first to sound was the largest bell, weighing almost a ton. The restoration of the domes began in 1990. The first to be installed was the multi-ton dome of the bell tower, topped with a spire and cross. The work was completed on the eve of Easter, and the dome was raised manually overnight. In the summer of the following year, a more massive dome of the main volume of the church was installed. The decor of the main volume is executed in the spirit of classicism, with minimal use of embellishments.

Today's Nicholas Cathedral has three chapels. The main altar is consecrated in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the northern in the name of the Prophet Elijah, and the southern in memory of the Venerable Trifon of Vyatka. During the Soviet years, a cinema hall was located here. Andrey Gavrilov noted in 1823 that the church should not be too spacious. Church utensils were acquired through donations from parishioners and benefactors, except for 1764, when the property of the Christ the Savior Monastery was transferred to the Nicholas Church. A significant contribution to the decoration of the church was made by Mikhail Alekseevich Zaitsev, who renewed the interior decoration, paid for the gilding of the iconostasis, and made silver covers for the icons.

Before the revolution, the church had wall paintings, which were renewed thanks to Zaitsev. Most of the icons were in silver covers with stones. The sacristy and liturgical utensils were updated. The pride of the church was an ancient handwritten Gospel, presumably gifted by the Venerable Trifon of Vyatka. For his assistance in decorating the church, Zaitsev was nominated for an award. He also planned to install tiled flooring. Other benefactors are known, such as the Faleev brothers, who purchased icons for the church. Modern church utensils were also acquired through donations. The restoration of the interiors began with two stoves and windows boarded up with plywood. The wall frescoes did not survive, and the walls are now painted in calm tones.

Among the church's attractions are the reliquary with the relics of St. Luke and a unique Gospel, handed over by one of the parishioners. It was restored in the Sofrinsky workshops. On one of the images of the cathedral, there is a triptych depicting the Savior, St. Nicholas, and the Venerable Trifon. Above the figure of the Savior is depicted the Holy Trinity, and below, the silhouettes of Vyatskie Polyany. The icon shows the Nicholas Church in its former blue color. Next to the icon is the text of a prayer for the city and the country.