The bell tower of the Mother of God Monastery was a true adornment of Kazan and for a long time remained the tallest in the city, reaching just over 55 meters. Its construction took place as part of a large-scale reconstruction of the monastery from 1798 to 1808, when wooden buildings were replaced with stone ones. The project of the monastery in the classical style was developed by the famous architect P. E. Starov, and the construction was overseen by F. E. Emelyanov. The bell tower was executed in the style of ancient Russian architecture. Unlike most bell towers of that time, which had a traditional tent-like shape, the main bell tower of the Theophany Monastery was tiered, similar to the lost bell tower of the Annunciation Cathedral in the Kremlin. The bells were placed on two tiers, and thanks to merchants' donations, 17 bells were cast, the largest of which weighed over 12 tons and stood nearly 3 meters tall. The sound of the bell tower was the most powerful in the city.