One of the first in the Volga region of the temples-monuments to the Tsar-liberator Alexander II, built during the life of the king was erected in the city of Kozmodemyansk, on ascension street (now Sovetskaya street) in 1872. In memory of the failed assassination on 4 April 1866 D. student Karagusova on the king's life and miraculous rescue of the Emperor kosmodemians built on the banks of the Volga river near the Cathedral in the old Russian style.

Majestic Smolensk Cathedral has an external similarity with the Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Saviour: the keel end walls with medallions in the nave, facade faceted columns and domes. The creation of provincial architects with wide-set with five domes in Russian-Byzantine style was later supplemented by seven bells, one of which weighed more than 139 pounds (two tons). A temple was built was by the parishioners and consecrated in honor of the Smolensk icon of the Mother of God in 1872. On the temple grounds before the revolution, housed the parish school.

In 1929 the Church was closed, the dome and the bell tower were demolished, and the building was handed over to local history and art Museum. In 1998, the Cathedral of the Smolensk Mother of God returned to the Orthodox diocese, restored and September 11, 1998 was consecrated by the Bishop Mari and Yoshkar-Ola John.

Nowadays most beautiful building of the Smolensk Cathedral is a temple-a monument and a historical landmark of the Republic of Mari El.