In the Root Monastery, founded in 1597, all buildings in the 16th-17th centuries were wooden. In the early 18th century, stone construction began, but little information about those buildings has survived. It is known that in 1703, with the funds of Bolep Sukhochev, the stone Nativity of the Mother of God Cathedral was built, replacing two wooden churches, one of which burned down in 1611 during the Polish-Lithuanian invasion, and the other was dismantled due to decay. In 1708, stone gates and the gate church of the Transfiguration of the Lord were built.

According to the description of the Znamensky Monastery from 1733, the belfry of the Root Monastery had iron clocks and seven bells, of which the clock bell weighed 1 pood. In 1765, large clocks were transferred from the abolished Karpov Trinity Monastery to the monastery. Over time, the monastery became known beyond the Kursk region, attracting pilgrims and donations. This allowed for the construction of new buildings and the reconstruction of existing churches. From 1852 to 1860, a large brick six-column cathedral in the Russian-Byzantine style was erected on the site of the old cathedral, designed by architect Konstantin Andreyevich Ton. The Nativity of the Mother of God Cathedral became the architectural dominant of the monastery and evoked admiration from pilgrims. Soon, a new belfry was also built.

The belfry above the holy gates appeared during the tenure of Archimandrite Seraphim (1852-1862) and was completed by 1860. On its third tier, a clock with a chime was installed, topped with a tent with a gilded dome and cross. The belfry, designed in the same style as the cathedral, became an ornament of the monastery, as noted in pre-revolutionary guidebooks.

After the October Revolution, the monastery lost all its valuables. In 1924, it was closed, and from 1924 to 1926, the main cathedral was destroyed, the bells were removed and taken away, and almost all church buildings, including the famous "stairs," were demolished. The belfry was also partially destroyed, leaving the lower tiers, which were converted into a viewing platform. In the late 1920s, the territory was occupied by a military unit, and in the 1930s, a sanatorium called "Svoboda" for tuberculosis patients was established here, later becoming a bone-tuberculosis children's sanatorium.

Since 1989, the revival of the monastery began. In 1990, the entrance gates were restored, and in 1991, the belfry was reconstructed according to the original design. In 2009, the entrance gates and arch were decorated with religious-themed paintings.