In 1781, a wooden church was built at the holy gates in honor of the prophet Elijah. In 1856, under the abbey of Amphilochius, a brick church in the neo-Russian style was erected to replace the dilapidated wooden church. This was a two-story, five-domed, four-altar Elijah church located above the gates. It featured corner pilasters of cubic shape and was topped with a massive central dome and small corner onion domes on drums, without a refectory or bell tower. On the upper floor were the cold altars of Elijah and Vladimir, while on the lower floor were the warm altars of the Meeting and Catherine. From 1830 to 1833 and from 1918 to 1923, the church functioned as a parish church. In 1923, it was closed, desecrated, and used as a club, and later as a cinema. In 1976, the church was blown up. A multi-story hotel 'Bryansk' was built in its place, next to which a memorial wooden cross is now installed.