A century later, like the fulfillment of the Bible prophecy “and the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee” (Isaiah 60, 10), the Pochayiv relic showed the miraculous power to the Count Nicholas Pototskyy. In a fit of anger being impetuous in his magnate despotism, he tried to shoot his coachman for overturning the carriage with frenzied horses. The coachman, turning towards Pochayiv hill, reached his hands upwards and cried out: "Mother of God, save me!" Three times Pototskyy tried to shoot the pistol, but the weapon misfired. Pototskyy could not believe his eyes since never before his pistol failed him. This miracle impressed the Count so much that he ran to the wonder-working Pochayiv Icon and gave the promise from then on to devote all his life to the monastery and take care of its mightiness and glory.
So in 1771 in place of the ruined and scattered ancient churches he began to build an imposing baroque style Cathedral in honor of the Dormition of the Theotokos designed by the German architect Gottfried Hoffmann. The Cathedral is 56 m high, standing on the hill that rises 65 m above the area. Its length is 54 m and the width is 40 m.
A lofty dome crowns the Cathedral. A large terrace, fenced with the iron grating, set in 30 stone columns with graven lamps, surrounds the Cathedral on its three sides. The Icon in honor of the Dormition of the Mother of God is placed above the main entrance.
The temple is of a cross-like shape inside. It is divided into three parts by the arcades of columns, impressing by the riot of color, painting, lines and shapes, verges and stages, deepness of the expanse. The Cathedral is painted and decorated with icons and paintings related to the history of the monastery and the events of the life of Our Savior. Those are the miraculous healing of Philip, a born blind brother of a landlady Goyska in 1597; the transference of the wonder-working Icon from the castle of Goyska to the Pochayiv hill; the transference of a monk to the abode from the Turkish captivity; the resurrection of a dead baby; a concussion by demon of Firley’s wife; Count Pototski and his coachman, etc. And all that became closely linked with this land – Volyn, with this holy hill, so naturally combines with Evangel stories known to each believer: Jesus Christ and a penitent sinner; Resurrection of the widow's son at Nain; Christ in the house of Marpha and Maria, etc. The Orthodox Symbol of Faith - gold letters from the left to the right. Like the completion of painting, the large image of the beginning of the history of abode: the appearance of the Mother of God in a column of fire.The Cathedral was painted at the beginning of XIX century by Lviv artist Luka Dolynskyy, and sometime later, in 1874 (after fire) the painting was renovated by Lavra’s painters together with academician Vasilyev. The finishing work was made by sculptor Polievskyy. The iconostasis was made under the project of academician Nesterov. It is embellished with thirty three icons. Two churches are settled upstairs in two aisles: a church in honor to Saint Blessed Prince Aleksander Nevskiy to the left and a church in honor of Saint Nicholas Wonderworker to the right. The Divine Liturgy is served there only during the Easter Week. They were consecrated in memory of the visit of the monastery of Nikolay I and Aleksandr II. The Cathedral enchases two Lavra’s relics – the healing God Mother’s Footprint and Her miracle-working Icon.
The Dormition Cathedral boggles one’s imagination with its strength, harmony, grace and its unique beauty.