In the late 19th century the first bishops of the Turkistan eparchy discussed the need for a Russian Orthodox Church in Almaty . On September 26 , 1903 , the bishop of Turkestan and Tashkent , Paisii ( Vinogradov ) consecrated the foundation of the church . Construction took place between 1904 and 1907 . The belfry was erected on September 14 , 1906 . The cathedral survived the 1911 earthquake with minimal damage , even though it was built without any nails , which some bishops attributed to divine intervention , although some credit might also be given to the advanced anti-earthquake techniques invented or employed by the architect , Andrei Pavlovich Zenkov
1911 earthquake
1911 Kebin earthquake
Ascension Cathedral, Almaty