The cathedral buildings, which are the oldest stone structures in Usty-Sysolsk, were erected even before the settlement received city status, on the site of previous wooden churches. The first church built on the banks of the Sysola River was the Protection Church, construction of which began in 1733. In 1753, the construction of another stone church, the Trinity Church, began nearby; it was consecrated in 1768 and had two altars. Together with the bell tower, built later, these churches formed a single ensemble of the Trinity Cathedral, which included the Protection and Trinity Churches. They were located where Protection Street (now Ordzhonikidze Street) led to the banks of the Sysola River and met the entrance doors of the Protection Church, which gave the street its name.

Building such large stone structures was a complex task. Usty-Sysolsk did not have its own craftsmen, so special teams of stonemasons were invited for the construction of stone buildings. The stonemasons from Veliky Ustyug were renowned for their craftsmanship in the North, and they were invited to build the Usty-Sysolsk churches. The Ustyug masters had their own style, developed over decades, characterized by tower-like structures and multi-tiered silhouettes of buildings, topped with elegant domes on thin necks. The Trinity Cathedral was built in this style.

A photograph from the early 20th century shows the Protection Church of Usty-Sysolsk, with the Trinity Church visible on the right. Above the main rectangular building with a four-pitched roof rises a square base, on which three decreasing polygonal drums, octagons, are stacked one above the other, culminating in a small dome. The Protection Church appeared simpler, as its construction was carried out in two stages, distorting the original design.

By the mid-19th century, the main churches of Usty-Sysolsk had lost their former ornate appearance. Time had not spared them, and the temples had noticeably deteriorated, requiring repairs. The floors had rotted to such an extent that they threatened the collapse of the altar. However, the main danger for the cathedral did not come from the rotten floors. From an engineering perspective, the location of the Trinity and Protection Churches was poorly chosen. The massive buildings pressed down on the soft riverbank, which was also undermined by underground springs, and gradually "slid" down. Once, the entrance to the church from Protection Street was fully visible, but by the end of the 19th century, only a small window above the doors remained visible. Cracks appeared in the walls, which were attempted to be tightened with iron clamps, and the foundations were crumbling.

Due to the threat of collapse, ringing the large bell in the bell tower was prohibited. As early as the 1840s, the issue of strengthening the riverbank was raised, but the work prescribed by members of the Vologda Construction Commission was never carried out.

Later, multiple attempts were made to strengthen the bank by driving piles, but they proved unsuccessful. The cathedral did not survive to our days; in the 1930s, during the active struggle against religion, it was destroyed.