Constructed in seven years, it was consecrated in September 2013 by leaders of the Armenian Apostolic and Russian Orthodox churches.

In the pre-Soviet period, Moscow had three Armenian Apostolic churches—two of which, built in the 18th century, were demolished by the Soviet authorities by the 1930s.

However, further controversy ensued in 2001 when Archbishop Tigran Kyureghian was accused of embezzling $3 million[1] and was replaced by Catholicos Garegin II with the latter's brother—Yezras Nersisian.

[21][1][22] Various individuals contributed to the construction, including wealthy Russian-Armenian businessmen such as Samvel Karapetyan and Ruben Vardanyan.

[23][24] In attendance were Patriarch Kirill of Moscow,[25] President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan,[8] President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan,[8][26] dozens of Armenian bishops from Armenia and the diaspora,[2] representatives of Russia's Muslim, Buddhist and Jewish communities,[7] and many others.

[13] In January 2017 pieces from the relics of Gregory the Illuminator, Armenia's patron saint, were presented to the church by Artur Janibekyan, Armenia-born TV producer and manager of Russia's most popular TV channels.

[14][11][1][13] Besides the cathedral, it includes the chapel of the Holy Cross (Surb Khach), an Armenian school, the headquarters of the diocese of Russia and Nor Nakhijevan, an underground museum and exhibition hall and several monuments, and a parking lot for 200-300 cars.