The construction of "military" or "garrison" Orthodox churches by the Russian government in former
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth lands had started after the suppression of the
November Uprising of 1830-31, and peaked during the reign of emperor
Alexander III of Russia. Initially the site of this church had been intended to be used for a Catholic church, but these plans had been abandoned after the Uprising. The cathedral was completed in four years (unusually quickly for its size), and was inaugurated on 17 September 1895. Later Lymarenko's plan was modified by
David Grimm from
St. Petersburg. The church's decorative scheme was outlined by Griaznov and implemented by craftsman from
Vilnius. Most of the construction was carried out by workers from
Chernigov Governorate, and its art-work was implemented by craftsmen from St. Petersburg. As usual for military churches of the period, the construction of Kaunas cathedral was financed equally by the Military Ministry and by donations from army servicemen. Completion of the church finalized the administrative building complex of the
Kaunas Fortress; it symbolized less the presence of Orthodox Christians than the imperial authority of the Russian government. It was also believed that the church would reduce interdenominational frictions. After the fall of the Kaunas Fortress during
World War I the Germans cut down the church bells and transported them to Germany. The church stayed closed until 1919. In the
interwar period the cathedral became a Roman Catholic church of the
Lithuanian garrison of Kaunas. There were voices urging the demolition of the church as it was labeled as without architectural value. During the rule of the Soviet Union, it was used as an art gallery. Nowadays it serves as a
Roman Catholic church. The other popular name of the church is
Soboras. ==Architecture==