Mount of olives the ascension convent belongs to the Russian Orthodox Church abroad (ROCOR). Its bell tower rising up from the mount of olives near the chapel of the ascension, visible for miles around. The name of the monastery is determined by its location – Christian tradition holds that it was here, on mount of olives (Olivet) Woe unto Jesus ascended into heaven on the fortieth day after the resurrection.

How many Russian churches in the Holy Land, the monastery owes its existence to the head of the Russian Ecclesiastical mission in Jerusalem Archimandrite Antonin (Kapustin). The plot at the top of the mount of olives father Antonin acquired in 1870, landed on it, fir and olive trees. When landings were excavated burial cave discovered mosaic floors of ancient churches. These well-preserved, very beautiful mosaics are now in the chapel and in the so-called archimandrites house, where is the archeological Museum of father Antonin.

In 1886 was consecrated the monastery Church of the ascension ("my little Aya Sofya," as a father Antonin, referring to its similarity with the Constantinople Hagia Sophia). This building in neo-Byzantine style, built by the Italian architect Gian-Batista Biselli, but Archimandrite took an active part in the work – a beautiful white stone iconostasis was designed and drawn by him. (Here, the father of Antoninus, and was buried in the North wing of his beloved Church.)

Simultaneously with the construction of the temple was the construction of the bell tower, also designed by FR. They worked on it for another Italian architect Antonio Lingadore. The impressive architecture of the bell tower is 64 meters high is reminiscent of medieval Italian Campanile, but locals call it the "Russian candle". Delivery the bells, the Church donated Solikamsk merchant Alexander Ryazantsev, became a bright event in the life of Jerusalem. Huge five-ton bell, came to the Holy Land by sea, arms pulled to the top of the mount of olives hundreds of Russian pilgrims in the narrow, steep paths in the rock. At the stops they supported each other by singing of the troparion "o Lord Save Thy people".

Lying North of the Church, with the churchyard, chapel of the finding of the precious head of St. John the Baptist was built on the site where, according to Orthodox tradition, found the severed head of John. A small fence inside the chapel was placed directly over this sacred place, and many pilgrims come here to pray. Impressive, the picture illustrates the tragic episode of the New Testament: the executioner put his hand on the shoulder of the kneeling figure of John the Baptist. Near the Church is one more precious for Orthodox pilgrims artifact – a stone on which, according to legend, was a virgin when Jesus ascended to heaven.