The Church of the Ascension in Yekaterinburg has an unusual fate. Being one of the oldest temples in the city, it has long been a historical and revolutionary museum. Nonetheless, these two things seem to be incompatible! The temple was founded in 1770. Originally, it was made of wood, and a two-storey stone church appeared here two decades later. Interestingly, the lower floor of the temple was named in honor of the Nativity of Christ, and the top one was named after the Ascension. It is the latter name that was assigned to the church.
In spring of 1918, Emperor Nicholas II and his family moved to Ipatiev House, which was located near the church. The Romanovs could hear the chimes of the Church of the Ascension, but they were not let into it in order to avoid the hype among the parishioners. In 1926, the Church of the Ascension was closed to worshipers. It was occupied by a school, and the main altar of the church was turned into a pioneer club. Later it housed a historical-revolutionary museum and a local history museum. In 1991, the temple was given back to the church.