After the founding of the city of Simbirsk, the service and military people who settled around the fortress built a small wooden parish church in the name of the Ascension of the Lord with a cemetery. This church lasted less than 50 years and became very dilapidated, so in 1694, with the blessing of Kazan Metropolitan Markell, a new, also wooden, but more spacious church was built in its place in the name of the Ascension of the Lord with an altar of the Nativity of the Virgin. It stood until 1729, when Kazan Metropolitan Siliverst granted permission to build a stone church on the old cemetery. The new church had two floors: the upper, cold, in the name of the Ascension of the Lord, and the lower, warm, in the name of the Nativity of the Virgin with an altar of Saint John the Warrior. The construction took a long time, and only in 1769 was the main altar consecrated. The stone bell tower was completed later; due to a lack of funds, its construction took 23 years and was finished in 1829. In 1824, thanks to the local landowner Elizabeth Nikolaevna Pazukhina, an altar in the name of the Resurrection of Christ was added to the church. By the decree of the Holy Synod on June 26, 1844, the Ascension Church was elevated to the status of a cathedral, replacing the abolished cathedral in the Spassky Convent. In connection with this, the temple was expanded, and the upper tier of the bell tower was modified. In 1864, the cathedral was severely damaged by fire but was restored by the efforts of the parishioners by the autumn of the same year. It is now in a dilapidated state, and the recently established church-parish trusteeship has recognized the need for major repairs and expansion, as well as a complete reconstruction according to the 1847 plan. However, the lack of funds, despite donations, prevents the realization of these intentions.