The school for blind children, founded in October 1907, was initially located in a small house on Pod'yacheskaya Street, near the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. In 1908, the brotherhood appealed to local residents for help in raising funds to purchase an estate and build its own school building. Families such as the Chicheryins, Naryshkins, Lansky, Boratynsky, Aseev, and residents of Tambov province participated in the charitable campaign. Lists of donors were published in the press, emphasizing that the size of the contribution was not important, but participation in helping those in need.

With the funds from Princess Kugusheva, a large estate with a garden and a one-story mansion on Kirkinskaya Street, now A. Bebel Street, was purchased. The house was raised by a second floor, which became the western part of the modern mansion. The construction of the new wing on the eastern side began with the consecration of the site on September 4, 1911. By September 12, the walls of the first floor were erected, and the foundation of the church was consecrated. The second floor of the new wing was topped with a dome with a small onion-shaped cupola, where the church, consecrated in the name of the Mother of God 'Unexpected Joy,' was located on December 2, 1912. The church was distinguished by its beauty and richness of decorations. The oak carved iconostasis with enamel and gilding was created by Moscow artist P.A. Sizov with funds from E.M. Boldyreva.

The Tambov intelligentsia actively participated in the project: architect E.A. Mozgalevsky developed the design of the new wing free of charge, and engineer I.E. Godzievich prepared estimates pro bono. Reports on expenses were published in the press, ensuring complete transparency. The work of the brotherhood council was strictly public and was not paid from the donated funds.

In the shelter, blind children from remote corners of the province were educated. They studied reading, writing, choral singing, playing musical instruments, and accessible crafts. The students wove beautiful baskets and garden chairs, which were in demand among local residents, sang in church choirs, and worked in the school garden. The money earned went to the school fund, which was formed from donations from parishioners, the empress, the city duma, and guardianship.

The opening of the shelter-school did not solve all the problems of blind children in the province, but thanks to its activities, the Church Brotherhood drew public attention to this important issue and mobilized healthy moral forces to address it.