Since the construction of the Zilantov Monastery in stone, it has seen four bell towers, not counting the wooden predecessors. None of them stood out in height among the surrounding buildings. The monastery itself was located on a high hill and was visible from afar, but there was no space for a large bell tower. Until the 19th century, bells hung at the churches, as in the ancient temples of Novgorod and Pskov. These bells remained old and valuable until the revolution. The first bell tower was located at the Uspensky Cathedral, which was traditional for main churches. This arrangement lasted until 1829, when the All Saints Church was rebuilt and consecrated anew, and the bell tower was moved to it. One of the five small bells remained at the Uspensky Cathedral, while the old bell tower was dismantled. The new bell tower took an unusual place above the roof of the All Saints Church and remained there for almost 70 years. In 1898, the first free-standing bell tower appeared, designed by architect F.N. Malinovsky in the Russian style. It was located above the Holy Gates of the monastery, on the southern wall. Modern pilgrims can only see it in old photographs.

A century ago, pilgrims approaching the monastery saw a majestic view: the walls and towers of the monastery resembled a white-stone Kremlin. The bell tower in ancient Russian style enhanced this resemblance. It resembled the towers of the Moscow Kremlin, especially the Spasskaya Tower, but in miniature. The nearly 30-meter pillar soared into the sky, while the tent of the All Saints Church rose nearby. The gates under the bell tower led into the monastery, their elegant triple arch symbolizing the Holy Trinity. This architectural technique was successfully revived by Malinovsky, a master of ancient traditions. On either side of the gates were the windows of the cells.

Above the gates rose the pillar of the bell tower, transitioning from a square base to an octagonal shape, where the bells were located under the tent. At the corners of the square base were four domes, mirroring the arrangement of the domes around the tent of the All Saints Church. This emphasized the unity of the design of the church and the bell tower. The decorations of the bell tower made of shaped bricks resembled the decorations of the neighboring church and other works by Malinovsky, such as the Trinity Cathedral in Raifa or the Sorrowful Mother of God Church in Sviyazhsk.

The Holy Gates with the bell tower and the monastery fence were completely dismantled in 1932.