The Saint Alexander Nevsky Church was established in 1936 by
Archbishop Vitaly (Maximenko) () on a tract of land donated by Yulia Martinovna Plavskaya. The initial chapel, dedicated to the memory of the great prince
St. Alexander Nevsky (1220–1263), was blessed in May, 1936. The church building was subsequently expanded three times. In 1987, ground was cleared for the construction of a new, second church, and on September 12, 1989, on the Feast Day of St. Alexander Nevsky, the cornerstone was laid and the relics of
St. Herman of Alaska placed in the foundation. The imposing
edifice, completed in 1997, is the work of Nikolaus Karsanov, architect and Protopresbyter Valery Lukianov, engineer. Funds were raised through donations. The Great blessing of the cathedral took place on October 18, 1997, with seven bishops, headed by
Metropolitan Vitaly Ustinov, and 36 priests and deacons officiating, some 800 faithful attended the festivity. The old church was rededicated to
Our Lady of
Tikhvin. Metropolitan
Hilarion (Kapral) announced, that cathedral will officially become the episcopal See of the Ruling Bishop of the
Russian Orthodox Eparchy of Eastern America and New York and the administrative center of the Diocese on September 12, 2014. == Parish life ==