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Church of Archangel Michael in Krasnaya Zvezda

Фото 1
The church was built in 1842 in the village of Bolshie Sestryonki, also known as Dve Sestrenki, which was located in the Balashov district of the Saratov province. This is one of the oldest Russian settlements on the left bank of the Khopr River, although the exact date of its founding is unknown. According to legend, in the early 18th century, three brothers, known as the Giants, came here. At that time, there were already small huts and half-dugouts of peasants fleeing from the Oryol and Kursk provinces. Soon, several nobles received land grants here and serfdom was imposed on the fugitives, while the descendants of the Giant brothers became state peasants. Among the landowners were the landowner Volder and large landowners Voskoboynikov and Ushakov. In the 19th century, several farms separated from this large settlement, forming the villages of Malye Sestryonki, Lopatino, Nemtsovo, and Solontsovka.

The church in the village of Bolshie Sestryonki, now Krasnaya Zvezda, was made of stone, with a bell tower, and was built in 1842 by the efforts of the parishioners. The church had two altars: the main one, in the cold part, was consecrated in honor of the Life-Giving Trinity, and the warm chapel was dedicated to Saint Archangel Michael. The staff included a priest, a deacon, and a psalmist, who lived in church houses. The village had both church and zemstvo schools.

On August 25, 1929, the OGPU authorities arrested the rector of the church in the village of Krasnaya Zvezda, priest Vasily Adoevsky, for "anti-Soviet agitation." On January 3, 1930, he was sentenced to three years of exile in the Northern Territory. After his arrest, from February 1930, the church effectively ceased to function. In 1933, it was finally closed, and the building was used as a repair and tractor workshop for the Krasnozvezdinskaya MTS. As a result of exploitation during the Soviet years, the church building suffered greatly and by the end of the 20th century was in a state of disrepair.

Part of the church building has been preserved. On its foundation, farmer S. P. Saninsky built a new church, the altar of which was consecrated in honor of Saint Archangel Michael. Fragments of the old church were used in the construction.

Geo point

Церковь Михаила Архангела в Красной Звезде

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