Ascension Monastery - Orthodox monastery, located in the city of Irkutsk. For several centuries, the monastery was one of the most important and major religious buildings in Russia.

The monastery was founded by Elder Gerasim almost immediately after the creation of Irkutsk fortress, three miles away, among the dense forest on the opposite bank of the Angara River. In 1669 Gerasim Yenisei governor granted the petition on the allocation of land for the construction of the monastery.

The first in a monastery built a wooden church of the Ascension with Odigitrievsky aisles. At that time also cells were built and a fence. In 1679, a fire destroyed all monastery buildings. After a while, the elder Isaiah resumed monastery. In 1686, he was again erected a wooden Ascension Church, in 1688 - a wooden church in honor of Our Lady of Tikhvin.

At the beginning of the first half of the XVIII century. The monastery is in possession of a significant amount of land and forests, as well as the salt plant. From 1727 to 1731, the monastery lived Innocent of Irkutsk, until his death. In February 1805 the relics of Innocent of Irkutsk have been placed at the Ascension Cathedral. Since 1883, the monastery is called the Ascension Monastery of St. Innocent.

In June 1783, the monastery was a strong fire, which resulted in burned all the cells. There was only one piece of Tikhvin Church. The monastery was rebuilt, this time only wooden structure was replaced with stone. From 1767 to 1809 we built a one-storey rectory building, three stone church and chapel over the tomb of Schemamonk Gerasimos.

In 1809, it completed construction of the third church in the monastery, which was dedicated to the Smolensk icon of the Mother of God, in 1823 - the fourth church on the main western gates of the monastery, consecrated in honor of the Presentation of the Lord. The fifth church was built in 1783 on the site of the wooden church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In 1919, the monastery housed Irkutsk consolidated hospital. In early 1921, the relics of St. Innocent was sent to the Museum of Yaroslavl. By the beginning of 1933 all the churches except the Assumption church were demolished. To date, the monastic buildings survived: the Assumption Church with a refectory, stone and wooden service, two stone communal housing, the school kitchen, the sacristy and a hotel for pilgrims.