Previously, the village consisted of three settlements: first, the village of Malaya Bolvanka appeared, then the village of Kryukovo, which were separated by a fence. These villages were located on the left bank of the Bolvanka River. On the opposite, higher bank was the village of Bolvanitsy. The village celebrated patronal feasts, such as All Saints, two Ivan days, and Michael's day.

From 1820 to 1838, the Church of John the Baptist was built in the village. It was a beautiful building with six spires, one of which housed the bell tower. Initially, the church was surrounded by a wooden fence, but later, merchant Vorontsov funded the construction of a brick enclosure, part of which has survived to this day. The temple was built on an elevation and was visible for many kilometers around. The church had a large parish.

In the 1950s, there were plans to remove the crosses, but local residents opposed this. As a result, only the bell was taken down, and one of the crosses was found to be broken.