Kutuzovo Village

“If Russians will always fight for beliefs of their ancestors and peoples honor, the Glory will be their everlasting companion and grief to wrongdoer who encroaches the Holy Russia”. M.I. Kutuzov (from letter).

I first saw the Kutuzovo Village in 1942 the year of War. In March 1942 moved to the Kutuzovo school, and started to live and work Aleksey Nikolaevich and Lyubov Viktorovna Vasilievs, who worked for many years as teachers in Zaborievo School. And Aleksey Nikolaevich was the headmaster of school and at the same time the Chairman of Vostryakovskiy settlement soviet (council). We, i.e. me and the teacher of Zaborievo School were on way to the Kutuzovo School on summer hot day. It was easy to walk; from Bunyakovo village we walked along the shore of the Gnilusha River, grandmother gave us clear milestones en route to Kutuzovo.

For the second time I visited the Kutuzovo Village on Patron’s Day of Christmas (7th of January 1944) when I visited Marfa Ivanovna Prudunova, the cousin of my father. In 30-40ies villages of Domodedovo distric maintained ancient traditions of celebrating the Patron’s Days. Family and spiritual ties of residents of settlements and villages were stronger that days. In XVII century the Kutuzovo Village was established after merger of Christmas churchyard with the Kutuzovo Village. In Moscovy settlements were named depending on their specifics as “churchyard”, “village”, “small village”, “country side”, “ponder”. Churchyard is the most ancient settlement meaning the village with church.

In Ancient Russia churchyards existed since X century. After their merger with villages and disappearance, churchyards became cemeteries remained on territory of churchyards. Christmas Church since ancient times located on Christmas Churchyard, on Malaya Severka (Gnilusha) River was destroyed in the beginning of XVII century. Cadastres of 1627-1628 for Moscow county in Tukhachevskiy region among patriarch “wastelands” indicated “wasteland that was churchyard of Christmas on the Malays Severka river, and on churchyard there was the Christmas Church, cultivated fields in the middle amounting to 2 quarters, and grasslands and woods amounting to 38 quarters in field, and as sow there was 30 haycocks, wood - 3 arpents» (Cadastre 9808). In 1651-1652 on Christmas Church Yard of Kutuzovo Village there was built new wooden church in the name of Christmas.

Cadaster of the Patriarch Government Order for 1652 states: “according to books of Pekhryan tenth of contributions by warden of priestly tsar’s village Ostrov, the Spasskiy priest, Stephan, this 160 year there was registered the Christmas Church of the Kutuzovo Village on churchyard, on the Gnilusha River, and the tribute of 10 three-kopeck-coins, 4 half-kopeck coins, of tenths and visit hryvnia. And on July the 31st Day said money were paid by the priestly warden, the priest Stephan (Patriarch Government Order Book 30). In 1661 it was recorded: “On August the 31st Day, according to note to extract of clerk in the Boyars' Council, Larion Lopukhin, by that church (the Christmas Church) the church land was given on terms of rent-in-kind to the Chudov monastery without repurchase, until - that church will have a priest, and the tribute will be taken as rent-in-kind without right of turnover” (Patriarch Order Book 52).

Watch books of the Patriarch Government Order in 1680 state: “On July 28th Day according to inspection by the Prince (Knyaz) Ivan Andreevich Sheleshpalskiy, the Christmas Church of the Kutuzov Villange, on churchyard at the Gnilusha River, is old, and according to the priest of that Church, Petr Ivanov, that church was built by congregation, and church land owned by that priest is 3 tenth in field, and two of the same, so there are 10 haycocks, and tribute is paid amounting to 10 three-kopecks-coin and 4 half-kopeck-coins, visit fee is hryvnia” (Book 141). The Kutuzovo Village on the Malaya Severka River, according to census for 1627-1628 was in Moscow County, Tukhachevskaya region “in village owned by Nikita Ostafiev Pushkin and newly baptized: Ivan Stepanov, the son of Ochakov, Stepan Yanin, the son of Tanikayev, Timofey Alikov and Nefed Alikov, the sons of Alikovs” (census book 9808).

Then the Kutuzov Village belonged to “Vasiliy Ushakov, and from him in 1679 it passed to his son, Ivan, under who there was in Kutuzovo Village: the yard of grand landowners, where “businessman, German, Finn lived”. After death of Ivan Vasilievich Ushakov the village was owned since 1722 by his children, Nikita and Fedor, and after Nikita his daughters: Irina, the wife of Aleksey Vasiliev Stepanov and Elizaveta, the wife of Alexandr Vasiliev Pavlov. The latest sold their half of village to the uncle Fedor Ivanovich Ushakov.

In 1766 F.I. Ushakov died, village became heritage of his wife, the widow Daria Alekseevna Ushakova with children, Vasiliy, Alexander and Natalya. In 1788, the Kutuzovo Village belonged to Alexander Ivanovich Loginov (county collector for the City of Moscow, Census Books 9811 and 9816). For 1729 in census of Synodal Government Order, it is said: “On March the 15th Day there was sealed order about construction of church upon request of the captain, Nikita Ivanov, the Son of Ushakov, and he was ordered by Moscow county, near the Novoe village, on churchyard of Live-Giving Trinity, and church vestibule of Borys and Gleb made of wood, which since long time is without divine service, and that church was given to him, Ushakov, the count, who is now senator, by Platon Ivanovich Musin-Pushkin, and and that church in Moscow county, in his land of Ushakov in Kutuzov Villange should be built instead of the old one, as the new Christmas Church, and church vestibule of the the Great Martyr Paraskoveya, named the Friday, and of duty amounting to 6 three-kopeck-coins 4 half-kopeck-coins one forth was taken” (Patriarch Governmental Order, Book 328). In church there were priests: Stepan Ivanov (1704-1709) and Lev Stepanov (1722), clerics: Vasiliy Evstigneev (1704), Lev Stepanov (1709), Osip Stepanov (1722) - (Census, Books 9816, 9820, Book of 1722).

In the Kutuzovo Village in 1627-1628 there was 5 landlord yards and 10 peasant and landless peasant yards, in 1646 - 16 yards of landlords and 9 yards of peasants with 25 people, in 1679 - located beyond yard peoples there was 6 yards with 26 people, 3 yards of landless peasants with 9 people and 7 peasant yards with 37 people, in 1704 there were yards of great landowners, cattle yards and horse yard, and 28 peasant yards (Census Books 9808, 9809). Name of the Kutuzuvo Village is associated with the surname of Kutuzovs, without exclusion of ancestors of the Russian Commander M.I. Kutuzov. And located nor far from the Kutuzovo Village Pushkino Village was named after its first owners, the Pushkins. It is known, that in the beginning of XVII century the Kutuzovo Village was owned by Nikita Astafievich Pushkin (one of ancestors of A.S. Pushkin).