A previous church on the site was built in 1866 by the order of the Governor-General of the Northwestern Krai Konstantin von Kaufman for the needs of the local garrison and was consecrated in honour of the emperor Constantine I and his mother Helena. Usually referred to as the Iron church (Железная церковь, Dzelzs baznīca) because of its external cladding, it was dismantled and rebuilt at Tsargrad (now Jersika), where it still remains, following the decision to build a new garrison cathedral at the original site.