The cathedral operated as such for only 16 years.
It was closed 14 October 1929 by the communist regime and its valuables were nationalized to the state treasury.
A small portion of these relics were displayed at the Museum of Navy and the Russian Museum.

In 1930—1931 the communist authorities had the cathedral defaced: its crosses and bells were toppled over and hauled to the foundries.
One bell, weighing 4,726 kilograms (second largest) remained in place — either due to technical difficulties or deliberately, as an emergency alarm signal.
Internal marble items, including the iconostasis and the memorial boards with names of the fallen seamen, were ripped out, broken or cut and reused for ordinary construction needs.
A small number of memorial boards ended up in the Museum of Navy and were "written off" in 1970.

In 1932 the cathedral nave was converted to a cinema, frivolously named New Star (in English, transliterated in Cyrillic) but soon renamed to more appropriate Maxim Gorky; in 1939 the cinema was upgraded to a House of the Officers (akin to a community center) of Kronshtadt garrison.
During World War II it closed; the dome received three direct artillery hits.
Post-war "reconstruction" of 1953—54 finally converted the cathedral to a functioning concert hall.
This time, the builders added a suspended ceiling that isolated the nave from the dome; it remained in place as of the end of 2007.
Reduction of military personnel in the 1960s made the concert hall redundant; in 1980 the cathedral reopened as a branch of the Central Museum of Navy.

The Russian Orthodox Church attempted to repossess the cathedral in the 1990s.
The first cross to be reinstalled on the main dome was made in 1996 but was not erected due to financial problems.
The second attempt, in 2002, employed a heavy helicopter and nearly ended in a disaster: the seven-meter cross fell from the dome and was damaged beyond repair; there were no human injuries.
The third cross was successfully erected 24 November 2002.
Three years later, 2 November 2005, the church celebrated the first Divine Liturgy in the Naval Cathedral since 1929.
In September 2008 the cathedral became operational again, but services were only conducted on special occasions.

The cathedral then underwent extensive repairs, restoration, and improvements, and was reconsecrated on 30 May 2013, by Patriarch Cyril, in time for the cathedral's centennial anniversary.
In his remarks at the reconsecration, Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said the cathedral looked "better than 100 years ago."
The cathedral operated as such for only 16 years. It was closed 14 October 1929 by the communist regime and its valuables were nationalized to the state treasury. A small portion of these relics were displayed at the Museum of Navy and the Russian Museum.
In 1930—1931 the communist authorities had the cathedral defaced: its crosses and bells were toppled over and hauled to the foundries. One bell, weighing 4,726 kilograms (second largest) remained in place — either due to technical difficulties or deliberately, as an emergency alarm signal. Internal marble items, including the iconostasis and the memorial boards with names of the fallen seamen, were ripped out, broken or cut and reused for ordinary construction needs. A small number of memorial boards ended up in the Museum of Navy and were "written off" in 1970.
In 1932 the cathedral nave was converted to a cinema, frivolously named New Star (in English, transliterated in Cyrillic) but soon renamed to more appropriate Maxim Gorky; in 1939 the cinema was upgraded to a House of the Officers (akin to a community center) of Kronshtadt garrison. During World War II it closed; the dome received three direct artillery hits. Post-war "reconstruction" of 1953—54 finally converted the cathedral to a functioning concert hall. This time, the builders added a suspended ceiling that isolated the nave from the dome; it remained in place as of the end of 2007. Reduction of military personnel in the 1960s made the concert hall redundant; in 1980 the cathedral reopened as a branch of the Central Museum of Navy.
The Russian Orthodox Church attempted to repossess the cathedral in the 1990s. The first cross to be reinstalled on the main dome was made in 1996 but was not erected due to financial problems. The second attempt, in 2002, employed a heavy helicopter and nearly ended in a disaster: the seven-meter cross fell from the dome and was damaged beyond repair; there were no human injuries. The third cross was successfully erected 24 November 2002. Three years later, 2 November 2005, the church celebrated the first Divine Liturgy in the Naval Cathedral since 1929. In September 2008 the cathedral became operational again, but services were only conducted on special occasions.
The cathedral then underwent extensive repairs, restoration, and improvements, and was reconsecrated on 30 May 2013, by Patriarch Cyril, in time for the cathedral's centennial anniversary. In his remarks at the reconsecration, Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said the cathedral looked "better than 100 years ago."
Kronstadt Naval Cathedral