Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral is considered the oldest in Yaroslavl. This three-domed, golden-capped church appeared on the site of an earlier place of worship that had stood here even before the arrival of the Tatar-Mongol Horde.
The current cathedral was built in 1515. It is not known exactly who the architect was, but the influence of Italian architecture on the appearance of the church is obvious, combined with the traditions of Russian church architecture. Historians suggest that the cathedral was built by an Italian, more precisely a Venetian architect, invited by Prince Konstantin.
The three towers of Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral are covered with gold and crowned with openwork crosses; their outlines echo the rounded pediments beneath the towers and the semicircular apses of the first floor.
Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral in Yaroslavl enjoyed the favor of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. This is confirmed by numerous charters issued to the church by the tsar, and there is also separate evidence of the autocrat's frequent visits to this monastery. In addition, historians and archaeologists suggest that the cathedral's ancient frescoes, whose age coincides with the reign of Ivan the Terrible, were created with the monarch's blessing and at his expense. Most of the frescoes have survived to the present day; they are carefully restored and protected from destruction.
