The cathedral building was founded in 1740 by decree of Empress Anna Ioannovna. However, due to a series of palace coups, the construction of the cathedral was postponed. In fact, construction resumed only in 1766 under Catherine II according to a new project by the Italian architect Antonio Rinaldi, but a fire broke out at the construction site, preventing the implementation of the project. The construction was completed only in 1789 under the supervision of architect Ivan Starov. This challenging destiny resulted in the eclectic appearance of the cathedral, which absorbed the features of Baroque and classicism.

The cathedral was consecrated and named in honor of Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich, who baptized Russia and is revered by the Orthodox Church as a saint. In 2015, on the 1000th anniversary of the death of Prince Vladimir, the cathedral underwent restoration.

The temple is painted in a beige-yellow color typical of classicism, with white columns and pilasters. It kept some elements of Rinaldi's project, namely, a five-domed structure with a three-tiered bell tower.