The parish was founded in the 17th century, and at that time the Ascension Church is first mentioned in the book of the Tula settlement from 1646. In 1712, merchant Andrey Fyodorovich Vladimirov financed the construction of a stone church. However, it lacked an altar for morning liturgy, and parishioners appealed to the bishop for its construction. Permission was granted, but due to the dilapidation of the church, the extension did not take place.

In 1754, a decision was made to dismantle the old church and build a new two-story temple. The construction lasted more than thirty years. In 1755, the first floor was completed and consecrated. Due to a lack of funds, the upper floor remained unfinished. In 1767, parishioners began fundraising to complete the construction. In 1779, the building was damaged by fire. The prolonged construction likely explains the inconsistency of the flat facades in the classical style and the baroque forms of the light drum. In 1787, the temple was finally completed and consecrated on October 2. A bell tower with six bells was built nearby.

The church had one gilded dome, the roof was covered with white sheet iron, the iconostasis was gilded, and the icons were painted by master Grigory Ivanovich Belousov. In 1824, a chapel of Saint Barbara was arranged on the first floor thanks to merchant Ivan Ivanovich Vladimirov. In 1883, a parish school opened at the church. In 1834, a fire destroyed the iconostasis on the second floor, and a new one appeared only in 1844.

The church's relics included the icon of the Sorrowful Mother of God, a copy of the miraculous icon from St. Petersburg from 1888, the icon of the Great Martyr Barbara, and a part of the relics of the Great Martyr Panteleimon.

In the early 1930s, the church was closed, and the bell tower was demolished. The Ascension Church was recognized as a monument of history and culture of federal significance and was placed under state protection in 1960 by a resolution of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR. In 1961, the building of the former church housed the workshop 'Soyuzshakhtoosusheniya.' In 1992, the Ascension Church was returned to the Tula Diocese. A parish school and library operate at the church. Since March 20, 2008, by the decision of the Diocesan Council, the church has been granted missionary status.