The Cathedral of Boris and Gleb was built by the architect Grigory Borisov in place the Church in 1522-1524, in the Moscow tradition. The temple of four pillars, domed, with simple and clear forms, a concise asymmetric silhouette, helmet-shaped dome and slit-like Windows.

Boris and Gleb Cathedral for 400 years of its existence has been repeatedly amended: in the XVII century, in 1783, 1842 and 1912. Each successive renovations did not spare the old layers of painting. Often it is knocked from the walls, preparing new every time, most dense and a convenient ground.

In 1956, architect B. A. Fire when parsing a late brick laid main altar niche was discovered a pattern of large stylized shoots on ohrana background (late seventeenth century). In addition, in the place where is located the tomb of the founders of the monastery of Theodore and Paul, Ognev found interesting composition of the late XVII century. In the niche there is the shoulder-length image of the Savior, the rounds of the monastery of Boris and Gleb and kneeling Theodore and Paul, and on the arch – father of Boris and Gleb, Prince Vladimir the Saint, and Leontius of Rostov.

When the Abbot of the monastery of Varlaam in 1783, the Church interior was repainted with glue paints, and in 1842 in the same style were renovated for the second time. The last restoration of the Cathedral was carried out in 1912 (the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty) under the supervision of the special Commission headed N. In. Sultanov. Artist team F. E. Egorova painted the Church in the Russian-Byzantine style". Many of the sketches made by the drawings of V. M. Vasnetsov.

Iconographic concept of painting should not be the old canons. The painting presented large compositions, placed in richly ornamented frame of the circles, crosses and stylized shoots, in bright colours, which used a lot of silver and gold.

In the dome – "the Almighty", in the piers of the drum between the Windows – 8 archangels with sertaline, at the bottom of the drum 12 apostles in the circles on the sails – evangelists. 5 the arches depicted the "Days of creation". On the pillars are figures of the Russian princes (Vladimir, Gleb, Boris, Alexander Nevsky and others). On the wall in the upper part – "the burning Bush" and "assumption" at the bottom – "the Cathedral of the Holy Father". On the North wall at the top, you can see the elevation of the cross" and "the Vision of Jeremiah, below – the sermon on the mount.

In the semi-dome of the Central altar is illustrated Christ in the garb of a priest and 7 apocalyptic elders. "The entombment" and "Resurrection" are located on the wall between the Windows. Over the area the high place – 2 12 apostles and an angel with a processional fans. In the arch of the main altar – the "Invisible eye". In the conch of the diaconicon – "Saved on a cloth" on the walls – Abraham, Ignatius, James, and other saints. In the conch of the altar depicts the Holy virgin with the angels on the walls of Moscow metropolitans, among them Alex, Peter, Philip, and others. On dossal posts – 3 Ecumenical Saint, Patriarch Juvenal, Nicholas, Cyril and Methodius and Theodosius of Chernigov.

Gilded with pure gold iconostasis, consisting of 6 tiers, recreated in 1912 I. Zvonareva, not preserved.

In the corner of the temple has the Shrine of the ancestors of the monastery of Theodore and Paul. Its surface is silvered and decorated typical of the seventeenth century carpet ornament from clove flowers and bunches of grapes. On the side walls of cancers can be seen 10 gold plated stamped medallions round shape, 2 of them survived chronicle in which there is evidence indicating that cancer was performed under the Patriarch Joseph.

From Rostov Borisoglebsky Cathedral originates a unique monument of old Russian sewing – "Banner Sapieha, dated to the early seventeenth century.