Until 1917, the merchant town of Troitskosavsk, now known as Kyakhta, named after the Holy Trinity and Saint Savva of Serbia, had six churches: the Trinity Cathedral, the Pokrov Church, wooden and stone Assumption Churches, the Resurrection Church, and the regimental Michael the Archangel Church. Currently, there are two functioning churches in Kyakhta: the Assumption and the Resurrection, the latter of which was restored in 2011. The Pokrov Church no longer exists, while the Michael the Archangel Church, the wooden Assumption Church, and the Trinity Cathedral were destroyed.

The New Trinity Fortress was founded in 1727 on Trinity Day. Almost a hundred years later, it was decided to replace the wooden building with a stone one. In 1812, in honor of the victory over Napoleon, a majestic temple was laid, and in 1817 a new three-altar stone cathedral in the name of the Holy Trinity was built, to which two more altars were later added.

The Trinity Cathedral, executed in the style of Russian classicism, is a significant architectural and historical monument of the first half of the 19th century. For a long time, it remained the largest church building in Transbaikalia. The height of the temple was 30 meters, and the bell tower reached 37.7 meters. It housed eight bells and tower clocks with dials facing east and west, with a weight of 45 poods. The temple and bell tower were topped with gilded crosses with chains and crowns. Inside the cathedral, there were five altars: the Trinity, Peter and Paul, Nativity of the Virgin, Saint Innocent of Irkutsk, and the icon of the Virgin Mary “Intercessor of Sinners.” The interiors were adorned with iconostases, kiots, and other cult items generously donated by merchants. The cathedral grounds were enclosed by a fence with metal grilles.

On March 29, 1934, the cathedral was closed and used for cultural purposes. A fire in 1963 destroyed the dome, choir, and floor of the temple, the roof, and partially the wooden vaults of the second floor. Most of the fence did not survive. According to the resolution of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR dated August 30, 1960, the Trinity Cathedral was included in the list of historical and cultural monuments to be protected as a monument of federal significance. Currently, the cathedral is in an emergency state and is not in use. In 1997, it was handed over to the believers, but restoration work has not yet begun.

Every Wednesday, prayers for the well-being of its revival are held in the ruined Trinity Cathedral of Kyakhta. The year 2012 was a jubilee for the cathedral, marking the 200th anniversary of the start of its construction. Currently, the design organization “Ulan-Ude Architecture Project” is working on the restoration project for the Trinity Cathedral.