The cathedral was built of lime stone in 1197 near the palace of Vsevolod the Big Nest, Grand Prince of Vladimir and was consecrated to his patron - St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki.

The cathedral's walls are decorated with more than 1000 carved bas-reliefs. Among them one can find King David of the Bible, Alexander the Great, Prince Vsevolod himself as well as lions, panthers, griffins, birds and plants. Unique frescoes of the late 12th century representing scenes of the Last Judgement and created by the Byzantine and Russian masters have survived in the western part of the church under the choir-gallery.

Originally the cathedral was surrounded with galleries and towers. They were removed in 1838 and after that the cathedral began to go to ruin. The complex restoration work, carried out in the 2nd half of the 20th century, saved the cathedral from destruction.

The exhibition is dedicated to the cathedral itself. Its showcases represent the changes of its appearance and its carved decoration.

Brought from the Greek town of Thessaloniki in the 12th century and kept in this cathedral was an icon of St. Demetrius and a reliquary with the relics of the saint. Later on, both the icon and the reliquary were taken to Moscow and are kept in the museums of Moscow now. Their copies - the icon is on the south-east pillar, the reliquary is in the central showcase - are represented here. There is also a copy of another icon of St. Demetrius, commissioned by Prince Vsevolod and belonging to the State Tretyakov Gallery today. The dove (in the central showcase), made of copper in the 12th century was on the cross above the cathedral. The fragments of the original cross of the 12th century, made of gilded copper as well as seals of Prince Vsevolod with the image of St. Demetrius on them are also exhibited here. The 18th-20th-century copy of the original cross is displayed in the alter part of the cathedral.

There is a memorial over the grave of the first Governor of Vladimir - Count R. Vorontsov (died in 1783) - at the western wall of the cathedral. The sculptures for the memorial were made in England and brought to Vladimir in 1804.