Behind the Dmitriev Cathedral, there is a bell tower built into the wall, constructed between 1777 and 1779. It has three tiers of rectangular shape. The lower tier features the holy gates adorned with columns, the third tier houses the bells, and under the dome are the striking clocks. The dome is painted green, and the cross and apple beneath it are gilded. The bell tower contains 15 bells of various sizes, among which stands out an ancient bell weighing 71 poods, received in 1765 from the Spassky Monastery on Peski. Another bell, weighing 4 poods, is kept in the monastery, and the inscription on it indicates that it was sent in 1652 by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in memory of His Holiness Patriarch Joseph. In 1869, under Archimandrite Hilarion, a new large bell weighing 770 poods was cast in Moscow at the factory of Dmitry Nikolaevich Samgin. Its cost exceeded 12 thousand rubles, of which a third was paid from the monastery treasury, while the rest was contributed by benefactors.

The new bell turned out to be two and a half times heavier than the previous one, which became the second largest. Before its installation, the bell tower's beams were reinforced. D.N. Samgin recommended placing the bell in the upper span for better sound, fearing that the sound might diminish in the lower one. However, the monastery leadership decided to install it in the more secure lower tier.

In the early 20th century, the monastery bell tower had 22 bells. The first weighed over 12.5 tons (770 poods), the second over 5 tons (310 poods), and the next four ranged from 3 to 2.5 tons. According to contemporaries, the ringing of the bells at Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery was distinguished by its special resonance and beauty, and it is noted that a special 'musical' ringing was practiced in the monastery.

The bell set of Spaso-Yakovlevsky Dimitriev Monastery was the most significant among all monasteries in Rostov. In terms of the number of bells, it surpassed all sets in the city and district, including the famous Rostov Cathedral bell tower. The monastery's large bell ranked among the three heaviest bells in Rostov, second only to two well-known bells of the Rostov Assumption Cathedral. Such a representative bell ensemble corresponded to the high status of the Spaso-Yakovlev Monastery.