Why did the workers in "Twenty-Six Men and a Girl" respect Tanya?

The twenty-six workers loved and respected Tanya mainly because they had nobody else to love and respect. It may seem selfish, but the workers didn’t really like Tanya for her personality or her individuality; they basically idolized her and adored the mental image of Tanya that they created in their minds.

And besides—though our life of penal labor had made us dull beasts, oxen, we were still men, and, like all men, could not live without worshipping something or other.

They were so happy and cheerful when she visited them every morning, and they thought of her as a symbol of everything good and pure in this world. They admired her and respected her deeply, even though they often made crude jokes about other women. Essentially, the workers worshiped Tanya and stopped only when the new baker managed to seduce her. After that, they insulted her, as they believed that she was no longer pure. However, Tanya proudly stood up for herself and decided to leave them, intending to never come back. Thus, the workers lost the one person that made them feel happy in their sad lives.