Nativity Cathedral is located in the center of Riga and is the largest Orthodox church in the city. The idea of ​​building a new cathedral in the city occurred in 1872. Following the tender for the construction of the temple, with a capacity of 2,000 people at the end of 1875 the project was approved by the RK Flug.

Bookmark the new cathedral made of Riga Bishop Seraphim in May 1876. He supervised the construction of architect NV Chagin. According to the draft, the church must be 5-dome, and the dome is largely superior to the height of buildings. Initially, in the bell tower of the church was not planned, however, towards the end of the construction of Emperor Alexander III presented the 12 cathedral bells, cast in the factory Moscow merchant ND Finlandskogo famous master of the time K. Verevkin. For the bells was made a project of the belfry built in the same style as the church. Belfry perfectly blended in with the original plan of the temple, combined with the cathedral in style and composition. Belfry was connected to the Cathedral by a covered walkway.

Decoration inside the church consisted mainly in the ornamental painting, made in the "Byzantine style" Augmented Font compositions in the arches. Icons were written in the Academy of Art by renowned artists such as FS Zhuravlev, KB Wenig, AI KORZUKHIN, VP Vereshchagin. Pots and was commissioned in the factories, IA Zheverzheeva, IP Khlebnikov, and others.

Construction of the temple was completed in 1883, the next year Riga Cathedral of the Nativity surrounded by an openwork fence and smashed Square inland. The consecration of the cathedral took place on April 28, 1884. Three days later, on Saturday over the city for the first time there was the sound of the 12 bells. Pretty soon the temple turns into a recognized spiritual center not only of the Latvian capital, but also the entire region. There is evidence that in the autumn of 1894 is made worship John of Kronstadt, who is now canonized.

In 1918, the Riga municipality closed the temple worship were banned. When the Cathedral of the Nativity, at the invitation of the Cathedral rd Latvian Orthodox parishes, visited Archbishop John Pommer, he found the temple in a catastrophic state. The glasses were broken, there were no bells, iconostasis cut off and piled painting destroyed the crucifix is ​​thrown into the garbage.

It begins the difficult path to the restoration of the temple. Archbishop John, in order to prevent further destruction of the cathedral, and, if possible, to collect and put in order what remained settled in the basement of the temple. Gradually, the price of hard struggle, and with the help of Riga and Russian, the restoration of the temple. Initially, every service needed permission from the authorities. Everyday life conducted in Church Slavonic and Latvian languages, began with Christmas 1922. By the mid 30's. Temple again became the spiritual center of Riga, a list has been updated, there was a struggle for the return of property of the former cathedral. New wave of destruction brought the Second World War, after which the cathedral again gradually restored, becoming the spiritual center of the city.

By order of the Council of Ministers of October 5, 1963 Cathedral of the Nativity has been closed. From the Cathedral there were only walls, everything else was either destroyed or rastaskano. In 1962 the building of the former cathedral converted into a planetarium.

Only in July 1991 it began a difficult path for the third to the resurrection and restoration of the cathedral. The first service, in difficult conditions, has made His Eminence Alexander 6 January 1992. Since that time, services were held regularly, and the same day after day were conducted repair work. Now the temple is covered with magnificent paintings, made new roofs, cupolas covered with copper, although much remains to be done. Families benefactors Vladimir Ivanovich Malyshkova and Igor Vladimirovich Malyshkova donated a beautiful iconostasis.

Today, "the risen three times," as it is popularly called, Riga Cathedral of the Nativity takes a worthy place in the cultural and spiritual life of the capital of Latvia. During his visit to Latvia in May 2006, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy held a service here.