It is located due south of the Admiralty on Izmaylovskiy Prospekt, not far from the Tekhnologichesky Institut Metro station.

The cathedral, which can accommodate up to 3,000 visitors, has only recently begun to be restored to its pre-Revolutionary splendor after years of neglect.

In honor of the victory in the Russo-Turkish War, 1877–1878, when the Russians liberated Bulgaria from the Ottoman domination, a memorial column was constructed in front of the northern facade of the cathedral in 1886.

On July 12, 1733, a large field tent operating as a church was consecrated in St. Petersburg, with icons painted on a dark blue satin.

There were rumors of plans by the Soviet government to demolish the cathedral and use the remaining material for a district workers' theatre.

Firefighters battled to save the other three cupolas as emergency workers removed icons and other religious articles.

The most valuable icons and other items were saved, and structural damage beneath the roof area was minor.

The St. Petersburg emergency directorate refuted earlier media reports that claimed that at least two domes of the cathedral had been destroyed.