The Avraamiev Bogoyavlensky Monastery was founded in the late 11th century by St Abraham (Avraami) of Rostov when he was bishop of Rostov. According to legend a pagan idol originally stood at the site of the present monastery and St John the Apostle appeared to Abraham, gave him a staff and ordered him to demolish the idol and build a church in its place. The new monastery would later be renamed after its founder. The monastery was a favourite of Tsar Ivan the Terrible who prayed here before the Conquest of Kazan and later rewarded the monastery with large donations. During the Time of Troubles it was sacked by Polish Interventionists, but restoration work and new building work was carried out at the monastery as part of Metropolitan Iona Sysoevich's building programme. After the Revolution, worship was still held at the monastery until 1926 when the monastery was completely closed and transferred to the Rostov Museum of Antiquities. In the 1990s the monastery was returned to the Church.

St Nicholas' Gate-Church

The second church to be built in the Avraamiev Bogoyavlensky Monastery under Metropolitan Iona Sysoevich is St Nicholas' Gate-Church, which was completed in 1684. Originally it stood as part of the monastery's wall and served as its main entrance, but the walls have since been demolished. It takes the form of a central bell-tower flanked with a tower on each side.

Epiphany Cathedral

The monastery's cathedral is the Epiphany Cathedral. Before Ivan the Terrible set out on his successful conquest of Kazan he went to the Avraamiev Bogoyavlensky Monastery to pray and to collect the staff of St Abraham to take it with him on his campaign. The staff was a holy relic of the monastery but has since been lost over time. After the victory of 1552 Ivan returned to the monastery to fulfil his vow and ordered the building of the cathedral. Work on the construction started in 1553 and was completed in 1555. As with other cathedrals built in commemoration of the Conquest of Kazan (St Basil's in Moscow being the most famous), the Epiphany Cathedral is made up of several altars and domes: five green domes standing on tholobates on top of the main building, a separate green dome on a side chapel decorated with kokoshniks, a bell tower and another side chapel with a tent dome topped with a small green dome.

Presentation of Mary Church

The first church to be built under Metropolitan Iona Sysoevich was the Presentation of Mary Church in the mid-17th century. In form the church is rectangular with an elevated central section, on which there is a small blue dome. To the side of the church, behind the Epiphany Cathedral, is the monastery's necropolis.