In 1837, Agrafena Fedorovna Gorbunova, the wife of an official, transferred a plot of land 90 versts south of Yekaterinburg, covering more than 307 desyatins, to the New-Tikhvin Women's Monastery. On this land, the monastery established the Malobulzinskaya farmstead. From 1850 to 1856, the territory expanded to 513 desyatins and 800 sazhen due to donations from the Karpov brothers.
The Malobulzinskoye convent was founded in the 1860s. Initially, a shed was built in the farmstead, which proved unreliable, and during rain, its inhabitants got wet. Food was prepared over a fire next to the shed. The nearest church was located 10 versts away, making it difficult to reach. The sisters traveled to the Yekaterinburg Monastery for confession and communion, while a priest visited the farmstead for prayers. The marshy terrain and deep rivers complicated travel, and in winter, the roads were covered with snow.
Igumenia Magdalina began the construction of living quarters and a church at the farmstead. Materials for construction, such as stone, clay, and lime, were found nearby. Local residents helped with digging trenches, and the nuns themselves removed the earth under the altar. After the construction, up to 30 sisters and 10 workers lived permanently at the farmstead, and in summer, their number doubled. They engaged in seed cultivation and livestock breeding.
On May 12, 1881, a stone church was laid, consecrated by Bishop Benjamin. By 1910, there were 52 buildings at the farmstead, including a stone cathedral in the name of Simeon of Verkhoturye with a chapel of Saint Mary Magdalene.
In 1920, a Bolshevik squad looted the farmstead, shooting six nuns. In the following years, the buildings were dismantled, while the church remained standing without doors and windows. After the expulsion of the nuns, a commune called 'Svoboda' was established on the territory, which lasted until 1923. The site of the former monastery began to be referred to as 'Svoboda.'
In the 1920s and 1930s, the farmstead found itself in the territory of Chelyabinsk Oblast. Today, the settlement is abandoned, with only the church, several cellars, and a tower remaining.
In the early 21st century, Orthodox enthusiasts cleared the area and surveyed the remaining buildings. Underground hermitages and galleries were discovered. Geophysicists identified the presence of underground passages, which likely served as ventilation or exits from the dungeons. The width of the passages was 70 centimeters. The Simeon Cathedral had a deep basement, the entrance to which had long been sealed. Perhaps it conceals the secrets of the monastery farmstead that the executed nuns did not have time to reveal.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first.
To leave a comment, sign in with Google.