Then, each newly arrived girl was summoned to the abbess's presence in turn, where she engaged in a long, in-depth conversation. The nun inquired about the student's knowledge of Holy Scripture and asked various questions about Orthodox holidays, fasts, and traditions. She then gave each new inhabitant a task for the coming days: helping the sisters dismantle the burned-out barn, watering the garden beds, basting the bed linen, and so on.
When it was Alexandra Vyshkina's turn to speak with the abbess, the abbess's cell phone rang. The caller's voice was male. The abbess referred to her interlocutor as "brother," and the young woman, who couldn't help but be present, got the impression that they were talking about a blood relationship, not a spiritual one. It was impossible to make out wha
