Andrei Nikiforovich Voronikhin was born on October 28, 1759, in the village of Novoe Usolie, Perm Province. His father was a serf of Count Alexander Sergeyevich Stroganov, although there is a version that Voronikhin was the illegitimate son of Baron Alexander Nikolaevich Stroganov, a cousin of the count. However, there is no documentary evidence of this version, and the architect's descendants deny it.

In his youth, Voronikhin studied painting under the icon painter Gavrila Yushkov. In 1777, Count Stroganov sent him to Moscow for further studies, where he studied painting and architecture for two years. There are reports that during this time he studied under Matvey Kazakov and Vasily Bazhenov. In 1779, Voronikhin moved to St. Petersburg and, settling in the Stroganov Palace, continued his studies in painting and architecture.

In 1785, the count granted Voronikhin his freedom. In the same year, the architect, along with the count's son and his teacher Charles-Joseph Ram, embarked on a journey across Russia, and in 1786, a European tour. Over four years, they visited France, Germany, and Switzerland, where Voronikhin continued his education. In 1790, Ram decided to stay in revolutionary France, while Voronikhin returned to St. Petersburg with Pavel Stroganov.

From this point on, the 30-year-old Voronikhin began to engage professionally in architecture. In 1791, he updated the interiors of the Stroganov Palace, replacing the baroque forms of Rastrelli with a strict classical style. In 1795-1796, he similarly reconstructed the Stroganov dacha and the Stroganov estate house in the village of Gorodnya. In 1797, he was awarded the title of academician of perspective painting, and in 1800, for his design of the colonnades in Peterhof, he received the title of academician of architecture.

In 1801, Voronikhin began the construction of his most famous building, the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg. The construction lasted 10 years, and upon its completion, the architect was awarded the Order of St. Anna, 2nd class. At the same time, he was involved in the construction of the Mining Institute building. After completing the cathedral, Voronikhin focused on teaching and led an architectural class at the Academy of Arts until his death in 1814.

The architect passed away on March 5, 1814, and was buried at the Lazarevskoye Cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.