The monastery, named after the saints Athanasius and Cyril, patriarchs of Alexandria, stands out for two unique features: it is the most recently founded and the only male monastery in Yaroslavl. Founded in 1615, shortly after the Time of Troubles, when Catholicism was penetrating Russia alongside Polish invaders, the monastery was built on the site of a parish church dedicated to the same saints. The opening of the monastery was linked to the discovery of the miraculous image of the Not-Made-By-Hands Savior in 1612. There is a legend about the icon found in a chapel near the wooden church of Athanasius and Cyril, which became the basis for the creation of the monastery. In March 1612, a people's militia led by Prince Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin arrived in Yaroslavl. Due to the large concentration of troops in the city, an epidemic broke out, and many died. The residents turned to Protopope Ilya, asking him to conduct a procession with the Tolga Mother of God icon. In a dream, the Savior appeared to Ilya and commanded him to take the icon from the chapel. After the procession, a miracle occurred: the healing of a blind man. The second miracle happened when the procession could not move from the spot at the chapel where the icon was found. In honor of this event, a church was built. After that, the epidemic ceased, and the militia set off on a campaign to Moscow. In 1615, the zemstvo elder Gavriil Myakushkin appealed to Metropolitan Kirill for a blessing to establish the monastery. Tsar Mikhail Fyodorovich supported the monastery, granting it villages, fishing rights, and tax exemptions. In 1619, the monastery received a charter freeing it from taxes and duties. In 1623, new lands were granted to the monastery. In 1627, the monastery achieved the release of its people from service as kissers. The first buildings of the monastery were wooden and often suffered from fires. In 1664, the first stone church was built. In the 18th century, the monastery received utensils from the abolished desert and participated in the procession of the Ugskaya Mother of God icon. In 1764, Catherine II classified the monastery as a non-staff institution. After the fire of 1768, the monastery was restored, and in the 19th century, work was carried out to improve it. In 1857, the monastery became a third-class institution. In 1895, it became the residence of the vicar bishop of the Yaroslavl diocese. In the 20th century, the monastery underwent reconstructions and was closed in 1925. In 2007, the churches were transferred to the Yaroslavl diocese, and restoration work began. In 2009, a decision was made to recreate the monastery. In 2011, the icon of the Not-Made-By-Hands Savior returned to the monastery. In 2017, restoration of the monastery began, and in 2018, new bells were consecrated. In 2019, the work on the reconstruction of the bell tower and the restoration of the paintings was completed.