Znamensky Cathedral is located in Veliky Novgorod next to the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior on Ilyina Street. Its construction began in 1682 on the site of a dismantled 14th-century church dedicated to the Sign of the Mother of God.

According to an ancient legend, in 1170, when troops from Suzdal attacked Novgorod, thanks to the icon of the "Sign of the Most Holy Theotokos," the Novgorodians achieved victory. It is said that during the siege, Archbishop Ilya prayed for the salvation of the city, then took the icon from the Savior Church and placed it on the fortress wall facing the enemies. One of the arrows hit the icon, and it, according to legend, turned away and wept. At that moment, the attackers were blinded, and the Novgorodians won. The mark from the arrow is still visible on the icon. This victory was considered a miracle, as the forces were unequal. In honor of this event, the Novgorodians built the Church of the Sign. In 1688, the old church became dilapidated, and the Znamensky Cathedral was erected in its place.

The architecture of the cathedral is characteristic of 17th-century churches but resembles Yaroslavl constructions more than Moscow ones. It is located next to the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior, which emphasizes its unique style. The temple is four-pillar, five-domed, with a basement, a two-story gallery, and three apses. The facades are decorated with pilasters and false zakomars with rich paintings.

The frieze around the perimeter of the zakomar is made in the style of Moscow and Kostroma buildings. In the Yaroslavl tradition, the temple is adorned with murals both outside and inside. There are even frescoes on the vaults of the porch and the holy gates. Icon painter I. Bakhmatov and 30 artists from Kostroma created the paintings, which differ in a bustling-realistic style, unusual for the Novgorod school. Despite the variety of images, the temple gives an impression of harmony.

The cathedral has repeatedly suffered from fires and was severely damaged during the Great Patriotic War when it was used as barracks. Many icons were taken away, and their fate is unknown.

The restoration of the cathedral was carried out by specialists from the Novgorod Special Scientific Restoration Workshop. In the 1950s, emergency repair work was conducted, and in the 1960s-70s, restoration under the guidance of G. M. Shtender. Since 1974, the work of saving the paintings has continued by a team of artists from the Novgorod Scientific Restoration Workshop.

Znamensky Cathedral is not used as an active church; there are no services or rituals held here. However, it is open for visits, and its monumental paintings are impressive. Due to its excellent acoustics, the cathedral often hosts concerts of classical and spiritual music. It is one of the best acoustic halls in Europe, where chamber choirs from different countries have recently performed.