The researchers distinguish the so-called Mikhailovskaya landscapes as a separate group, which differs significantly from both earlier and later works. In the 1930s, Mashkov turned to everyday reality, to the environment in which people lived, rather than to the wildlife he had painted before. The artist began to work outside often. However, these paintings are rather large; the landscapes of the Mikhailovskaya period are intimate, lyrical, painted in light colors.

 
In the background, one can see the dome and the bell tower of the Bogogyavlenskaya Church [Church of the Epiphany]. It was the oldest temple built on the Khopra River. This church was first mentioned in historical documents in 1700.

 
Historians note that it was originally made of wood. In 1764, a stone Bogogyavlenskaya Church with three Lord’s tables at the altar was built there, and in 1775, it was consecrated. The feature of the new church was a freestanding bell tower. Many relics were kept in the Bogoyavlenskaya Church, in particular, the miracle-working icon of Our Lady of Kazan made in the 16th century.

 
At Soviet times, in the early 1930s, the church remained functional. Ilya Mashkov planned to open a network of cultural institutions in Mikhailovskaya and to place a local history museum in the Bogoyavlenskaya Church. However, these plans would never work, as in 1935, the church was blown up.