The oldest construction of the Nizhny Novgorod Fair is considered Staroyarmarochny Spassky Cathedral, built in 1822 by the French architect Auguste de Montferrand (creator of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg). The building of the cathedral is part of Fair architectural complex designed by the Spanish architect and Russian statesman Augustin de Betancourt.

In 1816 in Nizhny Novgorod was transferred Makarevskaya Fair that was the beginning of construction of the main complex of fair buildings on the left bank of the Oka. After the completion of the temple, one month of the year (during the fair) from the Kremlin Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral in the fair brought ancient icons and church utensils. Postscript to the main cathedral of the city gave reason to call a new cathedral - Spassky. Staroyarmarochny Cathedral was called after the construction of the new (Novoyarmarochnogo) Cathedral in honor of Alexander Nevsky.

Appearance of the cathedral is designed in the classical style. The facade and interior of the building is richly decorated with stucco and Corinthian columns. Painted walls and ceilings of the cathedral A.V.Stupin artist worked with his son Raphael. Initial Staroyarmarochny iconostasis of the cathedral was painted by the European standards (with a naked body sites) Italian Torricelli, which caused an uproar of many local residents who refuse to pray in these icons. Later, the iconostasis was replaced by the work of the architect Vasily Stasov.

After the revolution, the building of the cathedral is located the warehouse and administrative buildings were given for housing. In 1991 Spassky Staroyarmarochny Cathedral was returned to the Nizhny Novgorod diocese and until September 2009 had the status of a cathedral. On the territory of the cathedral are: the chapel, the tomb of Metropolitan Nikolai of Nizhny Novgorod, baptismal church and chapel as well as a Sunday school and a library.