The Cathedral of the Assumption stands on the high bluff above the Amur, its gold domes visible from the river and from the Chinese shore beyond. The original cathedral was built in the 1890s and demolished by Soviet authorities in 1930 — a typical fate for churches across the Soviet Union. The current building is a reconstruction completed in 2001, built to the original plans and on the original foundations.
The exterior, with its white walls and golden domes against the river backdrop, is photogenic in all seasons. The interior follows the Russian Orthodox tradition with a rich iconostasis and candlelit chapels. The cathedral is an active place of worship; visitors are welcome outside service times. Its position at the edge of the bluff park, overlooking the Amur, makes it a natural endpoint for a walk along the riverside promenade.