On the northern wall of the stone fence of the Spaso-Prilutsky Monastery is the former main entrance to the monastery, known as the Holy Gates, with a small church of the Ascension. This church was built soon after the construction of the cathedral Spassky Church and adorns the entrance to the monastery from the road to Arkhangelsk, Kirillov, and Belozersk. The Holy Gates, the Ascension Church above them, and part of the stone wall are the oldest elements of the monastery's enclosure, dating back to the late 16th century, when the other walls with towers were still wooden. Later, they were incorporated into the ring of fortress walls of the 17th century and appear to be embedded in the later stone walls.

Originally, in 1590, the church was consecrated in the name of Saint Theodore Stratilates, the patron of Russian warriors, guarding the entrance to the monastery, and bore this name until the 19th century. It is suggested that the consecration was related to the angel of Tsar Fyodor, the son of Ivan IV, who ascended the throne in 1584 and possibly contributed to the construction in the monastery. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, the church suffered from fires and remained in poor condition until 1815, when it was reconsecrated in the name of the Ascension.

The gate church, dedicated to Theodore Stratilates and the Ascension, has been rebuilt multiple times, but modern restorations have returned it to its original appearance. It now occupies an important place in the architectural ensemble of the monastery. The Ascension Church features a simple and original composition. Its cubic volume, like that of the ancient gate structures of Rus, lacks altar apses. The church is topped with a single light dome, originally set on two stepped-pyramidal tiers of kokoshniks, which were replaced with a dome roof in 1815. The kokoshniks served as a decorative element, emphasizing the slender silhouette of the building.

The bell tower near the gate church is mentioned in the monastery's inventories from 1684-1693. A stone chapel with bells and wheeled battle clocks was added next to the Ascension Church, possibly moved from the cathedral bell tower. In 1729-1730, the chapel was converted into a small bell tower, which is now located next to the Ascension Church above the fortress wall. The four-sided prism of the bell tower, adorned with half-columns and kokoshniks, is topped with an elongated tent and a dome. Despite its later origin, the bell tower is executed in the traditions of ancient Rus.

In August 1990, the gate church of the Ascension was transferred to the church community, and in 1991, a male diocesan monastery was opened. The church is currently consecrated.