The first wooden church dedicated to the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God, which became the first Christian church in Rostov the Great, was, according to tradition, founded around 991 by the first saints, Michael of Kiev and Theodore of Rostov. A clergy was established at the church, and it became the cathedral church for Bishop Theodore and subsequent archbishops of Rostov, as well as the burial place for many of them.

The construction of the Rostov Assumption Cathedral is associated with a mention in the Kiev-Pechersk Paterik that Prince Vladimir Monomakh, having been healed by the belt of the venerable Simon the Varangian, decided to create a church in Rostov similar to the Pechersk one, with the same dimensions and decorations. He recorded on parchment where and which holidays were depicted in the church, and all this was reproduced based on the model of that great church.

The Paterik also mentions that Vladimir Monomakh gifted the cathedral the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. In 1160, the church was burned in a fire.

By the order of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, a new stone cathedral was laid in 1162 on the site of the previous one. On May 23, 1164, during the digging of trenches, a coffin with the relics of Saint Leontius and a coffin of Saint Isaiah were found, leading to their canonization. The construction of the stone church was soon completed, but according to some sources, the vaults, erected by inexperienced architects, collapsed, and the church had to be rebuilt.

The new Assumption Cathedral was laid by Prince Konstantin Vsevolodovich in 1213 and completed under Saint Prince Vasilko in 1231. At that time, the relics of Saint Leontius of Rostov returned to the cathedral and were placed in the chapel dedicated to him. Princes Yuri of Vladimir and Vasilko of Rostov, who perished at the hands of the Tatars in 1238, were buried under the altar of the cathedral.

After 1253, when the son of Khan Berke was healed through the prayers of Saint Cyril of Rostov, the Khan ordered that tribute from Rostov be sent to the Assumption Cathedral. Bishop Cyril adorned the cathedral with jewels. Later, when the venerable Peter of Ordyn arrived to serve in the cathedral, he was impressed by the beauty of the decoration and the service, which ultimately led him to embrace Orthodoxy. He was also married here.

In 1408, the cathedral suffered from a fire that destroyed decorations, icons, books, vessels, and stones. The top of the church collapsed.

Despite the disasters, the cathedral remained the burial place for Rostov bishops, including Saints Ignatius I, Ephraim, and Vassian.

The building of the cathedral that has survived to the 21st century was constructed between 1508 and 1515. Tsar Ivan the Terrible visited the cathedral three times, and Bishop Nikandr received a charter from him for land ownership.

On October 6, 1608, the cathedral was attacked by the Poles. Pan Sapega captured the city and began to seize the church, where residents and priests, led by Metropolitan Philaret, had taken refuge. The Poles looted the church, capturing the archbishop and stealing church treasures. Subsequently, the relics of Saint Leontius were placed under the ground.

Despite the disasters, the church was once again adorned. Bishop Ion Sysoyevich took care of the interior decoration of the cathedral, inviting masters for painting and building a bell tower with a church. Thirteen bells were cast for the bell tower, among which were the largest, Sysoy, Polyelieny, and Lebed.

The wall paintings and the carved gilded iconostasis of the cathedral were repeatedly updated. In 1763, the walls of the cathedral were painted with funds from Empress Catherine II. At the end of the 19th century, members of the imperial family visited the cathedral, and in 1913, Nicholas II began his acquaintance with the city by visiting the cathedral. Miraculous relics and icons attracted pilgrims from all over Russia.

After the 1917 revolution, the cathedral remained active for some time. In 1920, the relics of Saints Isaiah and Ignatius were opened for inspection. From 1922, the confiscation of valuables began. In 1935-1936, the church was closed and used as a warehouse.

In 1990, the Assumption Cathedral was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church and soon became the second cathedral of the Yaroslavl Diocese.