The Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God was founded in the middle of the 18th century and was founded on this very site. The stone cathedral grew by the end of the 18th century to accommodate everyone. The author's name is unknown, most likely, several masters worked on the project, including famous architects Antonio Rinaldi, Savva Chevakinsky, Pietro Trezzini. The entire nearby space has been redesigned and subordinated to the cathedral.

Vladimir's Cathedral was the richest in the city. His parishioner was Fyodor Dostoevsky, and the funeral service for Arina Rodionovna, Pushkin's nanny, was performed here. In Soviet times, the cathedral housed the library of the Academy of Sciences, and in 1989 it returned to the church.

The children's choir of the Vladimir Cathedral is known all over the world. It contains not only the Vladimir Icon, but also the image of Seraphim Sarovsky with a particle of relics.