The Ascension Cathedral plays a key role in the monastery's ensemble. This impressive structure dominates the overall panorama and is particularly striking when viewed from the opposite side of the river. The first wooden church of the Ascension was erected here soon after 1690. In 1757 and 1764, it was replaced by a stone building, which soon began to settle and deteriorate due to weak soil. Therefore, in 1796 and 1801, a new cathedral was built, which acquired its current appearance by 1825 after the addition of a large refectory with chapels and a portico on the western side. The Ascension Cathedral, a monument of mature classicism, is executed at a high professional level, likely according to the design of a metropolitan architect. Recently, I. B. Medvedev established that this architect was V. M. Kazakov, the son of the famous M. F. Kazakov.

The building is characterized by grandeur and strict solemnity. The main volume of the church, with its centralized structure and characteristic interpretation of forms typical of the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, is particularly impressive. Its large two-light square stands on a low base and features a large semicircular apse projection to the east. The massiveness and monolithic nature of the cathedral are emphasized by its modest decor. Beautiful four-column porticos of the Corinthian order with steep pediments adorn the northern and southern facades. The completion of the building is especially expressive: a large cylindrical drum with a dome, topped with a small drum and a vase-shaped finial, rises above the center of the church, surrounded by four similar drums with finials at the corners. All drums are decorated with rustication, contrasting with the smooth walls of the church, enlivened by triangular pediments above the large lower windows.

The entrance gates of the monastery, located opposite the footbridge over the river, near the abbot's cells, date back to the first half of the 19th century. Their single-span arch with a light stepped attic is adorned with paired pilasters. To the right of the gates, on a low hill above the river, stands a one-story building with a mezzanine. This was the former inn for pilgrims with cells for working people, where a church parish school was once located in the mezzanine. Built in the third quarter of the 19th century, the inn has retained late-classical forms, with a portico featuring eight pilasters and a triangular pediment adorning the central part, along with modest window surrounds. Despite the dryness and rigidity of the forms, especially in the details, the building successfully complements the overall ensemble of the monastery.