The Assumption Cathedral is the most prominent Orthodox church in central Oryol, its blue domes visible from across the river. The white stone exterior is typical of early 19th-century provincial Russian religious architecture — classical proportions, restrained decoration — and the interior retains its original iconostasis and frescoes. Services are held daily and the cathedral is an active place of worship.
The setting on the bank of the Oka River is pleasant, with views across to the older part of the city. This part of Oryol escaped the worst of the wartime destruction and preserves something of the pre-revolutionary urban character, with a few 18th- and 19th-century merchant houses surviving nearby.