Aleksey Gornostayev designed the cathedral but died before it was finished, and Ivan Varnek led the work. It was built from 1862 to 1868 and inaugurated on October 25, 1868. Parishioners and private donors largely funded it, with Crown Prince Alexander III giving a significant gift. It is dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God.
The article calls the style Russian Revival. About 700,000 bricks were brought by barge from the Bomarsund Fortress, which was demolished after the Crimean War. Pavel Shiltsov painted the iconostasis. It stands on a hillside on the Katajanokka peninsula. The article gives no dimensions.
The cathedral is the main church of the Finnish Orthodox Church in the Helsinki diocese. Admission was free for years, but since May 2025 adults pay 5 euros outside services, and the fees fund restoration. It is closed on Mondays.
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