In 1995, when the restoration of Kiltovsky Monastery began, only the sisters' building and a partially preserved cathedral remained. By 2008, the sisters' building had been renovated, and a small house church was established on the second floor in honor of St. Athanasius the Great.

The history of the foundation of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Kiltovsky Women's Monastery began with a trip by the Archbishop of Velikiy Ustyug, Ioannikiya. He noted that for a thousand versts of Zyryan lands, there was no women's monastery, although the piety of the Zyryans was evident: almost every settlement had a church, chapel, and Cross. Many wished to enter a monastery, and there was a need for teaching girls literacy, crafts, and household management. After lengthy correspondence on economic matters, a blessing was obtained to establish a women's monastery.

The chosen location was Krestovy Stan, situated between the Kiltovka and Bolshaya Yel rivers, where the hermit Vasily Pesterov from the village of Lyali lived. He set up a Cross near his hut. In 1826, a hunter from the village of Seregov, located 15 versts from the hermitage, saw a light in the distance and testified that it emanated from the Cross. This Cross turned out to be miraculous, and since then, many have received healing from various ailments. The hermitage was named Krestovy Stan, and over time it grew into the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Kiltovsky Monastery.