In 1517, simultaneously with the construction of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral, the first tower of the stone wall of the monastery, the Holy Gates, was built. They face the embankment of the Kotorosl River and are the strongest bastion of the monastery. This structure served as the main entrance to the monastery grounds and performed defensive functions. The watchtower crowning the tower was visible from afar to those traveling along the Moscow highway, serving as a landmark for those approaching Yaroslavl. Adjacent to the Holy Gates was the zakhab, a pre-gate fortification that represented an insurmountable barrier for enemies and allowed for firing at them from different sides. The zakhab, with its solid walls, occupied a strategic position at the crossing over the Kotorosl, controlling the road to the Kremlin and the Yaroslavl Posad. In the 17th century, the Holy Gates, located below the foundation of the architectural ensemble of the cathedral, played a key role in the southern exterior of the monastery. The cathedral and other buildings of the monastery complex unfolded before the eyes of those entering through the arched vault of the Holy Gates, as if slowly rising from the ground in their dazzling beauty. This visual illusion was conceived by the architects, who specifically narrowed the arched passage from the outside, widening it towards the inside. Originally, the tower was surrounded by a crenellated belt, which has only been preserved on the southern side.