Work completed:
11 "a" class student
Passport data:
series 18 04 No. 000
issued by the Internal Affairs Directorate of Kamyshin and
Kamyshinsky district, Volgograd
areas of the year
Home address:
Mira street, house 18, apartment 9
Scientific adviser:
a history teacher
Kamyshin - 2009
Introduction 3
ChapterI. Causes and history of the resettlement of Germans in the Volga region in 3
ChapterII. Livelihoods of the German settlers of the Kamyshinsky district and 6 of the city of Kamyshin from the middle of the 18th to the beginning of the 20th centuries.
2.1. Life difficulties of the settlers of the Volga region in the 1770s - 1880s 6
2.2. The life of the German colonists at the end of the 18th - the beginning 7
XX centuries.
ChapterIII. The role of German colonists in the economic, 10
political, social life of the Kamyshin district and
pre-revolutionary Kamyshin.
Conclusion 12
List of sources used 13
References 14
App List 15
Introduction.
Since childhood, I got used to the fact that in my city, in Kamyshin, there are a lot of people with German surnames. And it didn't surprise me. But later I thought: what is the connection between distant Germany and a small Russian town?
Several times I had to hear the phrase "Volga Germans." People who casually mentioned this seemed to understand perfectly well what was at stake, but it was a mystery to me how the Germans could be Volga? I was told that the Germans came to Russia a very long time ago and settled on the Volga. But then there was new question: "Why would they do that?" I didn't receive an answer.
And quite recently, walking along one of the streets, I saw a temple that was not at all like the usual Orthodox churches. (Application). Having learned that this is a Catholic church, I finally decided on the theme of my future research work, deciding that I would write about the history of the Volga Germans.
The purpose of writing my research work: to summarize and systematize information about the main areas of life of German colonists in the Kamyshin district and Kamyshin from the middle of the 18th to the beginning of the 20th centuries.
To achieve this goal, I had to solve the following tasks:
1. Learn about the causes and history of the resettlement of Germans in the Volga region in years.
2. Consider the life of the German settlers of the Kamyshin district and the city of Kamyshin from the middle of the 18th to the beginning of the 20th centuries.
3. Find out what role the German colonists played in the life of pre-revolutionary Kamyshin.
The main sources and literature used in the work are:
- "The City of Our Destiny" by Vasily Mamontov and Viktor Fedorkov. Important for the research work was the article "Immortalized by Dahl's Dictionary".
- "Historical and geographical dictionary of the Saratov province". In the process of writing the work, the 3rd edition of the dictionary was used.
- “Kamyshin far and near” by Evgeny Khoroshunov. Significant for the study is the article “The first translator of Faust”.
- Memories of pre-revolutionary Kamyshin.
- Memories of the life of the German colonists in the 60s. XIX century.
An important source of information can also be considered the official website of the Volga Germans "DIE GESCHICHTE DER WOLGADEUTSCHEN".
1. Reasons and history of the resettlement of Germans in the Volga region in years.
In 1552, Kazan was taken by Russian troops, and in 1566, the Astrakhan Khanate also ceded to the territory of Russia. But these vast expanses of the Trans-Volga steppes were empty for a long time.
At the beginning of the 18th century, during the reign of Catherine II, nee German princess Sophia Friederike Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbskaya, in Russia there was an urgent need to colonize the sparsely populated outskirts of the country - the territories of the Volga region, Siberia. But, as the historian Velitsin wrote: “The state economy lacked neither the strength nor the means to cultivate these lands ...”
Catherine II tried to solve this problem through internal colonization, but this was impossible under the conditions of serfdom and the attachment of peasants to the land. Russian landlords were in no hurry to move to the poor, backward and restless Volga region. Traveling along the Volga from the 16th to the middle of the 18th century was indeed very unsafe - the Cossacks often attacked trade caravans. Confirmation of this can be found in the Historical and Geographical Dictionary of the Saratov Province: “The gangs of the Volga robbers were crowded, the Volga River served as their field mainly” . 1 In addition, the southwestern border of Russia was often attacked by nomadic peoples - Karakalpaks, Kirghiz-Kaisaks, Kuban Tatars.
By a manifesto of December 4, 1762, Catherine II called on everyone from Europe to freely settle in the steppe possessions of Russia. (Application). Catherine expected not only to populate the outskirts, but also to bring to these areas the prudent, literate, sober mind of these countries. But the manifesto did not guarantee a secure and prosperous life for the settlers, and the call of the empress was not heard in the west.
The mistakes were taken into account, and in the second manifesto of 01.01.01 (Appendix) it was said about the free distribution of 30 acres of land per family, about the payment of travel expenses. Interest-free loans for 10 years were promised for the construction of houses and equipment, tax exemption for 30 years, freedom from recruitment taxes and camps, religious tolerance, broad local self-government on a national basis.
At this time, the Seven Years' War had just ended in Europe. The German counties and duchies were devastated. The peasants of Germany, who lived in conditions of the most severe exploitation and extreme fragmentation of peasant land ownership, moreover, devastated by the war, began to emigrate from their homeland to other countries.
The invitation of the Russian Empress came in handy.
The beginning of the summer of 1764 is the time of arrival in the city of Oranienbaum in the St. Petersburg province of the first batch of settlers - 349 people from
________________
1 . Southern counties: Kamyshinsky and Tsaritsynsky. - Saratov: Printing house of the Provincial Zemstvo, 1901. Volume 1, no. 3, ss. .
Hesse is a land in West Germany. 2
The road to Russia was difficult, so the colonists were accompanied by Russian mounted soldiers, led by Captain Boris Paikul and cornet Robinder.
An excerpt from Paikul's diary has been preserved:
“July 3, 1764 arrived in Shlisselburg. July 7 - arrived in Ladoga, from here we went further on carts. July 9 - went to Tikhvin Posad.
Paikul did not interfere in the internal affairs of the colonists, all issues were resolved at the discretion of the elders. One of the means of education for the elder was a stick.
On September 20, 1764, the ship with the colonists moored at the pier in Saratov. The ship carried 103 German families. They were divided into three groups and sent down the Volga for resettlement.
The period of mass resettlement of Germans in the Volga region began in 1764. At this time, 106 colonies were formed on the Volga, in which more than 8,000 families lived, a total of about 27,000 people.
In the northern and middle parts of the Kamyshinsky district, exclusively German settlements were located. Basically, the colonists occupied the Karamysh River with its tributaries and the Ilovlya River. The largest colonies of the Kamyshinsky district were:
1. Dobrinka (Lower Dobrinka) is one of the first German colonies in the Volga region. Created July 29, 1764. The population is German Lutherans, Baptists.
2. Kraft (Upper Gryaznukha). German Lutherans settled here.
3. Leichtling. The inhabitants are immigrants from Saxony.
4. Holstein (Upper Kulamenka) - colonists from France, Sweden, Switzerland.
5. Stephan (Water Buerak) - Germans who came from Hesse, Darmstadt.
6. Pfeifer (Rotten). German Catholics from Württemberg and Baden lived in this colony. (Application).
At first, the duties of local administration of the settlers were assigned to special commissars, and in 1766 a special local administration for the colonists was opened in Saratov under the name "Office of the Office of the Guardians of Foreigners."
As a result of the Turkish and Polish wars, the call and reception of immigrants from abroad was temporarily suspended in 1770, and after a while the influx of colonists into the Saratov Volga region completely stopped.
________________
2 "Lenin banner". No. 8.
2. Livelihoods of German settlers in the Kamyshin district and the city of Kamyshin from the middle XVIII before the beginning XX centuries .
Vital difficulties of the Volga region settlers in the 1770s – 1880s
The hopes of German settlers for a quick and easy establishment of life in a foreign country were not destined to come true. Some of the promises of Catherine II, set out in the manifesto, remained only promises.
There was no housing for the colonists. The tsarist officials from the Guardianship Office in every possible way oppressed the German settlers, introduced a strict regime for them. The government has abolished the conscription exemption.
The settlers had to build their own houses and make fuel supplies. In addition, they were all forced to prepare the land for crops, despite the fact that some of the Germans who came to the Volga were engaged in trade or craft in their homeland, and, therefore, were not connected with agriculture. But the peasant settlers also had difficulties: they were hard to get used to the Russian plow: in Germany, the Germans cultivated the fields with an iron plow.
An unpleasant surprise was for the colonists and the natural conditions of the Volga region. Here is how these conditions are characterized:
“The climate of the Kamyshinsky district is distinguished by a rather severe winter, although relatively short, and a long hot and dry summer. A common feature of all seasons is frequent and abrupt changes in temperature and other meteorological phenomena; spring is short-lived and suddenly gives way to intense heat; prolonged droughts are not uncommon here.” 3
Soon, to the already difficult life of the German settlers, the overpopulation of the rapidly growing colonies was added.
As an example, we can consider one of the first colonies of the Kamyshinsky district - Lower Dobrinka. Analyzing the number of men and women, according to the revisions of different years, we can conclude that in less than 100 years, the number of only the adult population of the colony has increased by more than 7 times. (Application).
In 1859, there were 5 German districts in the Kamyshin district: Nork with 10 colonies, Sosnovsky with 13, Kamensky with 11, Ust-Kulalinsky with 9 and Ilovlinsky with 8.4
According to the 10th revision of 1857, there were 51 German colonies. There were 102,251 men and women in them.
We find: “In 1860, in the Kamyshinsky district of inhabitants ... a total of 203,788 souls of both sexes. By nationality, German colonists and Little Russians prevailed over the Russian population, making up
3 Minkh - geographical dictionary of the Saratov province . Southern counties: Kamyshinsky and Tsaritsynsky. - Saratov: Printing house of the Provincial Zemstvo, 1901. Volume 1, no. 3, ss. .
4 Smelov L. Kamyshin. From century to century. - Kamyshin. 2008. Pp. 123.
2/3 of the total.
Thus, if we assume that the number of German colonists over the three years, from 1857 to 1860, changed insignificantly, then we can conclude: by 1860, German colonists accounted for about half of the total population of Kamyshin district.
This confirms that the population of the German colonies increased quite rapidly.
Unable to withstand all the difficulties of life in the Volga region, the colonists began to leave for other provinces of the country and beyond. Since March 1887, 350 families have left for the USA, Argentina and Brazil.
2.2. The life of the German colonists at the end XVIII - the beginning of the twentieth century.
Only towards the end of the 19th century did the population of the German colonies stabilize. Having overcome all the disasters, the colonists through hard work ensured that the previously lifeless Volga lands below Saratov gradually became a flourishing region.
According to the testimony of the first settlers, where colonies were founded near few Russian settlements, the Russians willingly helped the colonists in arranging their lives.
It would be necessary to consider that such relations existed only during the formation of the colonies, judging by an excerpt from the book “Guide to the Volga River and its tributaries”: “The German colonists live a closed life, strictly adhering to their religion, customs and mores of their country, keeping the native language. Marriages with Russians do not happen, in the whole structure of life and mental outlook there is an attraction to the native.
But, on the other hand, this statement is contradicted by the entry in the Historical and Geographical Dictionary of the Saratov Province about the German colonists: “They live in abundance. Get along with the Russians."
Most likely, while preserving their customs and culture, the Germans gradually mastered the Russian language and established ties with the local population.
Separate colonies were divided among themselves, as the Germans arrived from different places of the fragmented feudal Germany. In the colonies, the settlers settled strictly according to confessions (Catholics, Lutherans).
The Volga colonies had a quarterly layout. The settlement plans were developed by the board of trustees.
In Kamyshin, the houses of the German colonists were mainly located on the territory from the current streets of Oktyabrskaya to Bazarov, from Krasnaya to the Sandy ravine.
The houses of the colonists were different from the Russians. Prosperous German peasants in the Kamyshinsky district built houses from wooden beams. The building, as a rule, was facing the street with a long side, the entrance was from the courtyard, from the side opposite the street. A special originality was given to German houses by their appearance and interior.
Inside, the house was divided by a transverse wall into 2 rooms, the first - residential, the second - an entrance hall, which is also a kitchen. In the kitchen, a shelf for dishes was usually attached to the wall next to the chimney. In the front corner, where the Russian has ________________
5Guide to the Volga River and its tributaries. - Odessa, 1907. S. 122.
The population had a kiot with icons, the wealthy colonists had a closet with festive dishes: two or three painted porcelain plates, several cups, glasses, teaspoons.
At the free wall there was always a cleanly washed, in wealthy families - painted and painted, a table with benches. Further, near the walls, there were chests with dresses, linen and other things.
Particularly interesting are the memories of the chest with the dowry of his wife and the beds of the colonists.
Galler says that the chest was always locked, and when the lock was unlocked, it made very loud musical sounds so that you could hear that someone was opening the chest.
The bed is called “the pride of the colonist”, as they tried to paint the beds as beautifully and brightly as possible. In the morning, the hostess knocked down the feather bed and, bending it in half, laid it on the front edge of the bed, covered everything with a sheet with stitching on the bottom edge. There were fluffed pillows in sarpinka or even white pillowcases on the feather bed. The legs of the bed did not end at the level of the bed, but reached almost to the ceiling. Since the bed was set in the corner of the room, there were two open sides, which were drawn in by curtains, parted during the day and closed at night.
In his memoirs about the life of the Volga German colonists in the village, Eckheim says:
"This bed is called a 'Himmelbett', either because it's very high or because it's so good to sleep in that you feel like you're in heaven." 6
In the dialects of the Volga Germans, the words Bett mit Himmel are found. Himmel - translated from German, in addition to the meaning of "sky", it can also mean "canopy". 7 Perhaps "Himmelbett" is a canopy bed.
The colonists poured their own candles and made wooden candlesticks. If for some reason there were no candles, then some fat or lard was poured into a clay cup with a spout, a wick of thread was placed in the spout and lit. This lighting was extremely poor, but they did not put more than one such night lamp on the table, everyone was content with this light.
As for the costumes of the colonists of the 18th-19th centuries, they were based on the traditions of the national German costume.
Men wore short trousers in summer, put on white or colored shirts, through the collar of which a drawstring was pulled through. Sometimes, on especially important or solemn occasions, a single-breasted or double-breasted short vest “Weste” was “relied” over the shirt (in some colonies it was called “Brustche”). (Appendix, A). On the head, the colonists put on a cloth cap for going out and straw caps and hats for field work. In warm weather, on weekdays, the colonists walked barefoot.
6Haller about the life of the German colonists in the 60s.XIX Art. - Saratov, 1927.
7German-Russian dictionary.Ed. K. Leina- Moscow, Russian language, 1996. S. 117.
In the cold season, trousers made of self-woven cloth were worn; a part of the costume was sewn from the same material, resembling a long vest, but with sleeves - “Wams”. AT winter time a short fur coat was worn over the vest. In the cold, damp season, they wore oiled boots, and in winter, with snow, felt boots. When setting out on the road, the colonist would put on a sheepskin coat over and above his sheepskin coat. The winter headdresses of the Germans are cloth, with a cotton lining, hats with a lapel, hats with earflaps.
Women's clothing in summer is a woolen skirt made of self-woven fabric and a shirt. On holidays, in addition to this, they put on shoes and white paper stockings, and in addition to the shirt - a corsage bra made of colorful matter for young women and dark for old women. German women's hats are caps that were fixed with ribbons or ribbons and tied under the chin or under the hair. (Appendix, B).
In winter, the colonists wore dark-colored woolen stockings, felted high shoes with a garus border, quilted wadded bodices, short padded coats with wadding, and two or three skirts. The head was covered with a warm shawl, mostly blue or black.
Over the long years of living in the Volga region, the Germans managed to preserve their identity. Perhaps due to the fact that the culture of the Russian German colonists is closely connected with religion and the church.
There is very little literature on how the Volga Germans celebrated their main holidays.8 This can only be judged from the memoirs of the German colonists themselves. (Application). The most important celebrations in the life of any German are birth, first communion, marriage, as well as Christmas, Easter, Trinity. And each of these holidays, one way or another, is connected with the church.
From 1760-1770, the history of the church of the colonists begins, inseparable from the history of the Volga Germans.
Church elders, priests or pastors were elected by parishioners and appointed by the office. Their transitions from parish to parish were regulated by the Saratov colonial administration.
The main figure of the parish was the pastor or father. The clergy of the German colonies initially consisted of clergy who came from Catholic countries. Later, their ranks were supplemented by priests invited by the Russian government. But, despite this, until the 1790s there was a catastrophic shortage of clerics.
There was another serious problem in the ecclesiastical sphere of the German colonies. This is an insufficient number of temples, churches, prayer houses.
In the Kamyshinsky district, one of the first, in 1855, was built a wooden Catholic church in the Röthling colony (now the village of Semyonovka, Kamyshinsky district) (Appendix, A). After the Great Patriotic War Semyonovskaya church was dismantled. The church fence was dismantled. It is believed that it was installed around the building of the State Bank and the Park of Culture and Leisure in the city of Kamyshin. (Appendix, B).
8 The city is old, the city is new, issue No. 2. / Edited by G. Shendakov and T. Kandaurova. - Kamyshin, 1997. P.29.
Only in the middle of the 19th century in Kamyshin, at the corner of Krasnaya and Peschanaya streets, a Catholic cathedral was built (Appendix, A), and a Lutheran church was opened on Saratovskaya street. (Appendix, A, B).
These churches had schools for the children of the German colonists - Catholic and Lutheran. The school of the Volga Germans was confessional (church). This, in fact, subordinated her to the church. The main attention was paid to memorizing prayers, church hymns, texts from the Bible.
The Lutheran school existed in Kamyshin from 1863 to 1941.
Now the city has a functioning Catholic church on Lazareva Street, 46 - the Parish of the Introduction to the Church of the Mother of God. (Application).
3 . The role of the German colonists in the political, social and economic life of the Kamyshin district and pre-revolutionary Kamyshin.
At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, social stratification took place in the German colonies, even the big bourgeoisie appeared. But the Germans did not have a serious development of the class struggle. The minds of the colonists were dominated by communal consciousness, which was supported and developed with the help of religion. The German colonies in the pre-revolutionary years were characterized by an almost complete absence of political life.9
As for the economic and social spheres of life in the county, the settlers were increasingly active in them, contributing to the development of crafts and trade.
More than 10% of the German population was employed in the handicraft industry of the county. Sarpin-weaving production flourished, in which 50 thousand handicraft weavers were employed. "Kamyshinskaya sarpinka" has become famous not only in Russia, but also abroad.
The Kamyshinsky district also became famous for the release of “colonist winnowers”. 30,000 of these machines were produced annually.
In addition, German handicraftsmen were engaged in straw weaving, woodworking, pottery, as well as blacksmithing and mechanical work.
The reason for this development of handicrafts was the agricultural nature of the main occupation of the German settlers. The colonists had enough time to engage in a craft, for which only the presence of natural resources was necessary. natural materials: clay, stones, sand.
In addition, there was a great demand for relatively cheap products. Contributed to the development of crafts and the traditional national traits of the Germans - diligence, sobriety, practicality and a special propensity for crafts. A significant role was played by the high percentage of literacy of the population in the German colonies.
The household census of 1886 noted in the Kamyshin district: literate men of all ages 42425 (more than 32% of the total male population) and literate women 31177 (more than 26% of the total female _______________
9 "German autonomy on the Volga", partI, monograph. - Saratov, 1992. S. 12.
population). Kamyshinsky district, in terms of literacy, was an advanced district in comparison with all other Saratov provinces. Such a high percentage of literacy in the Kamyshinsky district was precisely explained by the large size of the German population, in which compulsory learning of the German language was introduced.
It was the district Kamyshin that became for the colonists the place where they sent their children to study, where they opened their enterprises and shops. One of the streets of the city even got the name German. (Now the street is called Spartakovskaya).
In the memoirs of the pre-revolutionary, a native of German settlers, here and there we see German surnames:
"Mill Borenya- somewhere outside the city.
Reisich mill - left bank of the Kamyshinka, near the bridge.
Miller's bakery - on Gorokhovskaya street.
From Nikolskaya to Nemetskaya Street, on the right is the Doffert pharmacy, the only one in the city.”10
Thus, German pharmacists, bakers, owners of mills and hotels appeared among the population of Kamyshin. There were also merchants, bankers, doctors, lawyers, teachers. In Kamyshin of those years, such surnames as Reisich, Gorst, Lichtenwald, Borel, Schneider, Droffert, Bezel, Lotz and many others thundered. These were all respected people.
10 Golman about pre-revolutionary Kamyshin. 1981.
Conclusion.
When writing a research paper, I tried to combine information about the Volga Germans found in various sources. The materials were analyzed and compared. During the research, some inaccuracies were found in the names of the German colonies, inconsistencies in the materials on the relationship between the Russian population of the Kamyshin district and the German colonists. I also found out the reasons for certain events, for example, the arrival of the Germans in the Volga region.
Consequently, the work contains elements of the following research methods: synthesis, analysis, reflection.
In the course of the study, it was possible to generalize and systematize the information found about the history of the Volga Germans in the period of the 18th - early 20th centuries and, on the basis of this, draw conclusions about the significance of the settlers' activities for Kamyshin and Kamyshin district, about the main areas of life of the colonists.
Despite the fact that by the beginning of the 20th century, the German colonists made up almost a third of the population of the Kamyshin district, they did not mix with the local population, they did not lose their own identity. Jacob Dietz says about the Volga Germans: “This is a new people, even a new race, created in special living conditions. The Germans no longer looked like the Germans, but they did not become Russian either.”11
A lot of names famous people can be found among the Volga Germans. The first translator of "Faust" into Russian was a native of the Kamyshin district - a German Eduard Ivanovich Huber. In 1835 he completed the translation of the poem "Faust" into Russian. And, of course, I was looking forward to the decision of the St. Petersburg censorship. But she banned the publication of the translation. And Huber destroyed the manuscript. However, I found out about it by accident. He sought out Eduard Ivanovich and persuaded him to restore the translation of Faust.
Deputy of the first State Duma of Russia, lawyer Yakov Dietz was not only a well-known rebel in the Tauride Palace, but also a favorite of the people in his native Kamyshin. In addition, he is one of the most prominent researchers and compilers of the history of Russian Germans.
The German colonists endured a lot, but did not concede, did not surrender. Difficulties and obstacles only made them stronger. The German colonies entered the 20th century strengthened, ready to assert their rights to self-sufficiency and independence.
11 Dietz Ya. History of the Volga German colonists. - Moscow, 1997. S. 378
List of used sources and literature.
Periodicals
1. "Lenin banner". No. September 1988.
2. "Moscow German Newspaper". No. September 2004.
The official website of the Volga Germans "DIE GESCHICHTE DER WOLGADEUTSCHEN". (Email address: http://).
1. Memoirs (Life of the German colonists in the 60s of the XIX century). - Saratov, 1927
3. Some images related to the topic of the research work - a copy of the map of the German settlements of the Kamyshin district and a copy of the photograph of the building of the wooden Catholic church in the German colony Röthling (Semenovka).
Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts (RGADA)
1. Manifesto of Empress Catherine II of December 4, 1762 on allowing foreigners to settle in Russia and the free return of Russian people who fled abroad. F. 248 "The Senate and its institutions". Book. 3398. L. 67-67v.; PSZ. T. XVI. No. 000.
2. Manifesto of Empress Catherine II of 01.01.01 on the permission of all foreigners entering Russia,
settle in different provinces of their choice, their rights and benefits. F. 248 "The Senate and its institutions". Book. 3398. L. 238-243v.; PSZ. T. XVI. No. 000.
Kamyshinsky Museum of Local History
1. Memories of pre-revolutionary Kamyshin Golman, 1981.
Literature:
Monographs and articles:
1. German autonomy on the Volga, part I, monograph. - Saratov, 1992.
2. The city is old, the city is new, issue No. 2. / Edited by G. Shendakov and T. Kandaurova. - Kamyshin, 1997.
3. City of our destiny. / Vasily Mamontov, Victor Fedorkov. - Kamyshin, 2006.
4. Smelov L. Kamyshin. From century to century. - Kamyshin, 2008.
5. Chetvertnova T. Old city, new city. Issue No. 1. - Kamyshin, 1996.
6. History of Kamyshin. Volga trade in the 16th - 19th centuries. Documentary historical research. / , . – Moscow, 1999.
7. Minkh - geographical dictionary of the Saratov province. Southern counties: Kamyshinsky and Tsaritsynsky. - Saratov, 1899.
8. Ditz J. History of the Volga German colonists. - Moscow, 1997.
9. Arndt costume of the Volga Germans. (Late XVIII - early XX centuries) - Perm, 2000.
10. Guide to the Volga River and its tributaries. - Odessa, 1907.
11. Plehve of a colony on the Volga in the second half of the 18th century. - Moscow, 1998.
12. Khoroshunov E. Kamyshin far and near. - Kamyshin, 2000.
Reference literature:
1. German-Russian dictionary. / Edited by K. Lane - Moscow, Russian language, 1996.
Application List:
1. A copy of the photograph of the Kamyshinsky Catholic Church. 16
3. Copy of the first page and the text of the manifesto of Empress Catherine 18
II dated 01.01.01.
4. A copy of the map of the German settlements of the Kamyshinsky district. 19
5. Diagram showing the population of the German colony 20
Lower Dobrinka, Kamyshinsky district in years.
6. Copies of images of variants of the costumes of the German colonists. 21
7. Excerpts on the holidays of the German settlers, from a copy 22 memories of the life of the German colonists in the 60s years XIX centuries.
8. A copy of the photo of the building of the wooden Catholic Church in 23
German colony Röthling (Semenovka).
9. Copies of the city plan of Kamyshin and photographs of the Lutheran church 24
on Saratovskaya street.
Application.
A copy of the photograph of the Kamyshinsky Catholic Church on Lazarev Street, 46 - The Parish of the Entry into the Church of the Mother of God. The picture was taken on November 22, 2008.
Application.
The text of the manifesto of the empress Catherine II of December 4, 1762 on allowing foreigners to settle in Russia and the free return of Russian people who fled abroad.
B By God's mercy We, Catherine the Second, Empress and Autocrat of All Russia, and others, and others, and others.
P about Our accession to the All-Russian Imperial Throne, We have decided to ourselves as the main rule to have Our Maternal care and labor for peace and prosperity of the entire vast Empire entrusted to Us from God and for the multiplication of its inhabitants. And as many foreign, similarly our subjects who have left Russia, beat with their foreheads so that We would allow them to settle in Our Empire: then We are most merciful with this announcement that not only foreign various nations, except for the Jews, favorably with Our ordinary Imperial mercy on Settlement in Russia is acceptable and in the most solemn way we affirm that Our Royal mercy and favor will be rendered to all those who come to settle in Russia, but we also allow the subjects who have fled from their homeland to return, with the hope that they, at least according to the laws, should have been punished , but nevertheless
we forgive all of them until this crime, hoping that they, having felt for them these Our bounties rendered by Mother, will help, settling in Russia, to live calmly and in prosperity, for the benefit of themselves and of the whole society. Where and in what places to the aforementioned settlers leaving in Our vast Empire, and in other things everything that belongs to that before the order, about that we render our generosity to Our Mother, to help, settling in Russia, to live calmly and in prosperity, in favor of our own and the whole society. Where and in which places to the mentioned settlers published in Our vast Empire, and in other matters everything that belongs to it before the order, we ordered Our Senate, having made a decent definition, to publish.
D en in Moscow, December "" day 1762.
P long signed by Her Imperial Majesty's own hand taco: Catherine.
Application.
BUT. Copy of the first page of the manifesto of Empress Catherine II from 01.01.01.
B. The text of the manifesto of the empress
Catherine II dated 01.01.01 on permission for all foreigners
entering Russia,
settle in different provinces of their choice, their rights and benefits.
1763 July 22.
Manifesto of Empress Catherine II
on allowing all foreigners entering Russia,
settle in different provinces of their choice, their rights and benefits.
We, Catherine the Second, Empress and Autocrat of All Russia, Moscow, Kyiv, Vladimir, Novgorod, Queen of Kazan, Queen of Astrakhan, Queen of Siberia, Empress of Pskov and Grand Duchess of Smolensk, Princess of Estonia, Livonia, Karelian, Tver, Yugra Vyatka, Bulgarian and other empresses, and Grand Duchess Nova of the city of the Nizovsky lands, Chernigov, Ryazan, Rostov, Yaroslavl, Belozersky, Udora, Obdorsk, Kondi and all northern countries mountain princes, and others, the hereditary empress and owner.
We, knowing the expanse of the lands of Our Empire, among other things we see the most beneficial places for the settlement and habitation of the human race, the most useful places, still idly remaining not a small number, of which many in their bowels hide an inexhaustible wealth of various metals; but like forests, rivers, lakes
and the underlying seas are sufficient for commerce, then the ability to multiply many manufactories, factories and other factories is great. This has given Us a reason in favor of all Our loyal subjects to publish Manifesto, past 1762 December 4th day. But how in it We have briefly announced Our permission about those wishing from foreigners in Our Empire to settle; then, in addition to this, We command everyone to announce the following institution, which We most solemnly establish and order to fulfill:
We allow all foreigners to enter Our Empire and settle wherever they wish, in all Our Provinces.
Such foreigners can come and appear not only at Our residence in the Office of Guardianship of Foreigners established for that purpose, but also in the border cities of Our Empire, where they are able, at the governors, and where there are none, then at the main city bosses.
Among the foreigners who want to settle in Russia, there will be those who will not have sufficient income for their journey, then they can
to appear at Our Ministers and Residents who are at foreign courts, from whom they will not only be immediately sent to Russia as a dependency of Ours, but will also be satisfied with travel money.
As soon as foreigners arrive at Our residence and appear in the Office of Guardianship, or in some other border city of Ours: they have to declare their decisive intention, what their desire is, whether to enroll in a merchant class or in guilds, and to be a tradesman, and in which city , or to settle in colonies and townships on free and profitable lands for arable farming and many other advantages, then all such, according to their desires, will receive an immediate definition of themselves; where exactly and in which places in Our Empire are free and convenient lands for the population, from the following register, it is visible, although still incomparably more than the announced number of spacious lands and all sorts of lands, on which we also allow to settle, who only and where from them for he will choose his own benefit.
How soon will any of the foreigners arrive in Our Empire for settlement and appear in the Guardianship Office established for them or in Our other
border cities: then, firstly, declaring, as prescribed above in paragraph 4, about his desire, then everyone has to make, according to his faith and ordinary rituals, an oath of allegiance to Us.
But so that all foreigners who want to settle in Our Empire can see how great Our favor is for their benefit and advantage; then We deign: 1e. To all those who arrived in Our Empire in the settlement to have free exercise of faith according to their charters and rites without hindrance; and those who wish not in cities, but in particular on open lands, to settle in colonies and towns, build churches and bell towers, while having the required number of pastors and other clergy, excluding one construction of monasteries; reminding, however, that from those living in Russia in Christian laws, no one and no one, in agreement with their faith or community, should under any circumstances incline or attract, under fear of all the severity of Our laws, removing from this different title those who are in the Mohammedan law , adjacent to the borders of Our Empire of the peoples, whom we not only in a decent way incline into Christian laws, but we also allow ourselves to be made serfs by everyone. 2e. Those who arrived from foreign countries to settle in Russia should not pay any taxes to Our treasury and serve no ordinary, below extraordinary, services, even keep quarters, and in a word conclude, they are free from all taxes and burdens as follows, namely: those who settled with many surnames and whole colonies in empty places for 30 years, and those who wish to live in cities, also enroll in workshops and merchants, in Our residence in St. in other provinces, provincial and other cities for ten years, but moreover, everyone who arrived in Russia not for a temporary stay, but for a settlement, a free apartment for six months. 3e. All foreign arrivals to settle in Russia will be provided with every kind of assistance and pleasure, inclined to arable farming or some other kind of needlework and to the establishment of manufactories, factories and plants, not only a sufficient number of capable and profitable lands will be allocated, but any necessary assistance will be provided, as far as possible. of each state, seeing especially the need and benefit of newly established factories and factories, and especially those that have not yet been established in Russia.
4e. For the construction of houses, for the establishment of various livestock for house-building, for all kinds of tools, supplies and materials necessary for arable farming and needlework, the required amount of money will be issued from Our treasury without any interest, but with a single payment, and then after ten years in three years in equal parts. 5e. For those who have settled in special colonies and towns, we leave their internal jurisdiction to their well-being, with the fact that Our superiors will not have any participation in their internal routines, and in other respects they are obliged to obey Our civil law. If, however, sometimes they themselves wish from Us to have a special person for guardianship, or for their safety and protection, while they are identified with neighboring residents, with the good discipline of the military salvo guard, then it will be given to them, 6e. We allow any foreigner who wants to settle in Russia to import his estate, whatever it may be, without any payment of duties, with the fact that, for his own use, he will bring with him something in goods and for sale, then no more we allow you to enter duty-free, both at a price of up to 300 rubles for each surname, with the fact that when they stay in Russia for at least 10 years; otherwise, for those on return travel to collect
import and export duties. 7e. Foreigners who have settled in Russia during their entire stay, either in the military or in the civil service against their will, will not be assigned, except for the ordinary zemstvo, and then after the prescribed grace years have passed. And if anyone wishes to voluntarily enter military service as a soldier, such a person will be given 30 rubles as a reward in excess of the usual salary when assigned to a regiment. 8e. Foreigners who have appeared in the Guardianship Office established for them, or in other Our other border cities, as soon as they declare their desire to go to a settlement inside Russia, they will be given both fodder money and carts free of charge, to the intended place for them. 9e. Who among the foreign settlers in Russia will start such factories, manufactories or plants and begin to make goods on them that have not been in Russia until now, then we allow them to be sold and released from Our Empire for 10 years without any payment of internal port and border duties. 10th. If any of the foreign capitalists starts factories, manufactories and factories in Russia with his own dependence, we allow him to buy the appropriate number of serfs and peasants for those manufactories, factories and factories.
11th. We allow foreign colonies or small towns who have settled in Our Empire to establish trades and fairs at their own discretion, without any extortion and payment of duties to Our treasury.
Not only those who came to our Empire to settle, but also their remaining children and their descendants, even if they were born in Russia, counting the number of years from the date of arrival of their ancestors in Russia, have all the prescribed benefits and institutions.
After the above years of grace have passed, all foreigners who have settled in Russia will be liable to pay ordinary taxes and service to the zemstvo without any burden, just like our other subjects.
Finally, if some of the foreigners who have settled and entered into Our citizenship wished to leave Our Empire, we always give freedom to such, with the same explanation, however, that they are guilty of all the good things in Our Empire to give to Our treasury, namely: living from one year to five years, a fifth, and from five to ten, and then a tenth, and then depart, whoever wishes, without hindrance.
If, however, some of the foreigners who wish to settle in Russia, for some special reasons, still require other conditions and privileges beyond the prescribed ones, then they can address it in writing or personally to Our Office of Guardianship of Foreigners established by Our Office, from which We are about everything with the details will be reported, and then, according to the reversal of circumstances, We will make a more inclined decision, what they can hope from Our justice.
Given in Peterhof in July 1763, on the 22nd day of our reign in the second summer.
The original is signed by Her Imperial Majesty's own hand with a taco: Catherine.
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Diagram showing the increase in the population of the German colony of Lower Dobrinka between 1788 and 1862.
Application.
Copies of images of variants of the costumes of the German colonists.
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A. Suit of the Volga German colonist. B. Volga costume options
Late 18th - early 19th centuries. Germans. Early XIX century.
Reconstruction. Reconstruction.
Application.
Application.
excerpts about the main holidays of the German colonists of the Volga region from a copy of memories
Holidays of the colonists.
1. Birth.
The birth of a colonist constitutes an event in the family.
Baptism is always postponed by the colonists for several weeks before the arrival of the pastor in the village, by which time several children are usually recruited. If baptism takes place in a place of worship, i.e., in a school house, then the dressed-up godfather takes the child there. If the family is prosperous, then the pastor is usually invited to the house, and the schoolmaster is also with him. After the end of the ceremony, coffee and sweets are served, but alcoholic beverages are not allowed, except for a glass of church wine or very light grape wine. By evening, the guests disperse, and everyday life immediately enters into all its rights.
2. First Communion .
The second holiday of the colonist - confirmation , i.e. the first communion. Among Lutherans, children under the age of 15 attend school and by the age of 15 receive the first communion, which is very solemnly arranged.
6 weeks before communion (mostly on Palm Sunday), children from all the villages that make up the pastor's district gather in the village where the pastor lives, where they attend the pastor's lessons daily and repeat everything they learned at school. On the eve of communion, everyone gathers in church, and here, in the presence of parents, a public examination is held, followed by a public confession. The next day, the communicants gather in the church long before the start of the service; according to custom, they do not take any food before communion. After the divine service - solemn and lengthy - they receive communion and at the same time in memory of communion a piece of paper, usually with drawings from the life of Christ and with the corresponding texts; it is attributed by the hand of the pastor that such and such, born then, on such and such a day and year, was confirmed by him, the pastor, by such and such. The colonist usually inserts this leaflet into a frame and hangs it on the wall.
3. Marriage.
The colonist's third celebration is marriage. When young people have reached the age of 18, they are married; it rarely happens that this matter is handled by the parents, most often the young people themselves come together and then inform the parents. If there are no obstacles, then matchmakers are sent and the case is considered completed. The pastor announces such an engagement in the church within 3 Sundays, and only after that the wedding day is set. When the wedding day is set, the matchmakers, dressed up in a festive dress, go around relatives and friends, inviting them to the wedding. Matchmakers are sewn on the chest with a rosette of multi-colored ribbons, the long ends of which flutter freely; in their hands they have sticks, which are also decorated with ribbons.
The celebration begins, in fact, on the eve of the wedding: the whole house of the groom is filled with women helping to bake, cook and fry for the guests of future days. After dinner, the matchmakers go to the bride’s house in a parade wagon drawn by horses decorated with ribbons, loading the dowry and noisily taking it with a full career to the groom’s house, where the dowry is inspected by all women, but not for the sake of control, but rather out of curiosity.
Weddings for the most part take place on Sundays, after the service, and usually several couples are married at the same time.
Before the wedding, the groom with his retinue enters the bride's house and, taking the bride, accompanied by an even larger retinue, decorously and silently goes to church. After the wedding, the young people are taken home on horses decorated with ribbons. The guests, with the exception of the closest persons themselves, also go home, as it is necessary to give the young people time to dine, and only after about an hour the dinner is over, then the guests also appear. By this time, the beds had already been removed from the room, only the table remained, at which the musicians sat down and along the walls there were benches and chests.
Musicians do not receive payment from the groom; they are obliged to play for 3 days, receive food, and even the menu is set, and every dancer pays for the music, and the money is thrown directly on the cymbals. The more provocative the music, the more and more often the dancers pay, and the more profitable it is for the musicians.
On the first day, young and young people dance, i.e. girls and boys, the music plays until 9-10 o'clock, and then everyone disperses.
On the second day, the festivities begin around 10:00. morning and continues with an hour break for lunch again until 9-10 pm. On this day, only married people dance, who are obliged to pay the young for every dance that they dance with her. On the third day, the old people dance, that is, people over 40 years old. They are called old people because many of them already have grandchildren by this age.
Since the old people do not walk for a long time, on the third day the music ended by 6 o'clock in the evening. The owners managed to quickly put the room in order and from the next day ordinary everyday life began, as if there had been no wedding.
Only the closest invitees took part in the dinner, that is, persons more honorable or closely related to the young couple; dinner continued until the hostess or her closest assistant announced that all the prepared geese, ducks, piglets were eaten and that nothing more would happen today. During dinner, men were surrounded 2-3 times with vodka, and women with sweet red wine. There were usually no drunks, except perhaps for some young guy who still did not know the measure.
The wedding days - the second and third, are accompanied by riding around the village on horses adorned with colorful ribbons. Horses are always galloping; more than 2 and rarely 3 trucks do not participate in this race. It goes without saying that people ride only when they are quite tipsy, and they ride the young woman and her girlfriends.
Bridesmaids and groomsmen do not play any special role in the wedding, as far as I remember; it was only an honor for the friends of the young couple.
4. Christmas .
The celebration of Christmas begins at 5 pm on Christmas Eve. Many on this day do not eat anything until the star or, more correctly, until dark; others eat only fish, but since there are few fish in the steppe rivers, this custom gradually died out. From 5 o'clock. In the evenings on Christmas Eve, the service begins and everyone goes to church, only one adult remains at home, who prepares the festive table.
By 6 pm everyone comes home and each member of the family receives a gift; children are given, first of all, honey gingerbread made at home, nuts and a few sweets. In addition, each received several white mint gingerbread.
Adults received the same plates of sweets, but, in addition, someone else came across a pipe, or a pouch, or a penknife, cloth for a dress, a headscarf, etc.
The distribution of gifts was accompanied by a special ceremony. Children and adults gathered around the table, on which gifts were displayed. The children had to sing a special hymn set for Christmas. At the end of the anthem, the door opened and a kind fairy dressed in all white appeared, who declared that, passing by, she heard the singing of kind children and therefore came to caress them, and the children had to take turns saying a memorized rhyme. Then the fairy disappeared through the same door and in her place tumbled in, rattling chains and with the roar of a lion, dressed in a fur coat turned inside out, an evil spirit who demanded to be presented to him for punishment or devouring lazy people.
Everyone, with fear and weeping, rushed to the skirt of the mother, who calmed the evil spirit until he moved away, rattling his chain. Only after this, our paradise was opened, and a full plate of the above-mentioned sweets entered the uncontrolled management of each of us.
In addition to sweets, toys were also relied on: a lamb, a horse on wheels, a stick with a horse's head and a bridle; dolls for girls dressed in multi-colored dresses, or only doll heads or an undressed doll, etc.
Half an hour or an hour later, after the distribution of gifts, a dinner of festive dishes appeared on the table: roast goose, duck, stuffed pig, etc.
On the first day of the holiday, children usually visit their godparents and get some candy, some gingerbread. For adults in the morning worship; after the end of the sermon, the hostess runs from the church to prepare everything for dinner, which was being prepared in her absence; after the ringing of one bell, which continues all the time while the pastor reads "Our Father", the hostess hurries to prepare everything for serving; ten minutes later both bells begin to ring; this means that the service is over and everyone is going home. Immediately, the whole dinner is put on the table and those who come can immediately sit down at the table.
Christmas is celebrated for three days. There is no Christmas time, there are no mummers, and only girls and boys huddle in the street until night.
5. New Year .
New Year's Eve is not held in high esteem. This is a civil holiday. However, one day is celebrated. From a neighboring Russian village, children with bags come and, under the leadership of the elder, sing some kind of verse and, all the while singing, shower those present in the room with a mixture of wheat, peas, and barley. They are rewarded with sweets and pennies, and they go to another hut. This, by the way, is the only day of the year when our Orthodox neighbors, who live across the river 100 sazhens from our village, visit us.
6. Pancake week.
Maslenitsa is not celebrated among the Lutheran population, except for the more affluent on this day they drink coffee with cookies - "brushwood". The day is considered a weekday.
7. Easter.
Easter, on the contrary, is considered the most solemn holiday. Even from the very beginning of Passion Week, a festive mood begins; Thursday (Grundonnerstag) and Friday (Charfreitag) are especially revered; on these days, the whole village communes if it has not had time to take communion with the confirmers on Palm Sunday. On Saturday, they begin to paint eggs, bake kuhens, brushwood, rich rolls and prepare geese, ducks, chickens for the holiday. The eggs are colored. Everyone spends the Sabbath in work and bustle; Far from everyone gathers for the evening service, and it is not solemn.
To meet Easter, not only the rooms and the yard, but also the street are cleaned and put in order.
Children, going to bed, put their hats under the bed or in certain places they love, into which the bunny should bring eggs at night; many strive not to oversleep the sunrise, because at this time in the rising sun you can see Christ's lamb. Among the Lutherans, Christ is always depicted with a shepherd's crook and a lamb at his feet.
The next morning it turns out that the bunny really brought to everyone two dozen colored eggs, one or two sugar eggs with a lamb (there were no chocolate then), and sometimes also several toys. The bunnies apparently do not have gingerbread and candies at their disposal, since only the mother distributes them in moderation on the first day of the holiday.
All three days are celebrated in the same way. In the morning - church, after lunch - walks in the field for tulips ..
Easter dinner is different. The first is chicken noodle soup. Noodles are only good when the dough is thinly rolled out and then cut into very thin threads. Few housewives were proud of this art. The dough was prepared in the evening, rolled out in the morning and thin sheets of dough for drying are laid out on pillows on the bed; cutting begins even before the end of the sermon and continues, as it requires a lot of attention, for a long time, about an hour, chopped noodles are put into the soup only after ringing to "Our Father".
The second course is goose stuffed. Turkeys among the colonists at that time were rare, but still happened.
Noodles are served not only in the form of soup, certainly chicken, but are also served in the form of milk soup, i.e. boiled with milk. Or directly boiled noodles are served without any liquid, but then it is poured with ghee, in which small pieces of kalach, no larger than a nut, were fried in a frying pan. Our children really liked such a noodles, and in particular, slices of white bread crispy on their teeth.
Easter is celebrated for only three days; at the end of the third day, life already takes on its everyday appearance and the peasants leave for the field, if Easter is not too early, to start or continue the hard peasant work - arable land and sowing on Wednesday morning.
8. Trinity.
The days are long, the nights are short, but nevertheless, on the feast of the Trinity, the whole village buzzes like a beehive all night long. On the night before the Trinity, the guys, who have already agreed with the chosen one of the heart, put a high pole at the gate with a green bush tied at the top; in rare cases, this is a birch, since this tree is completely absent in the steppe. On the night after Spirit Day, the pole disappears again. This pole is tantamount to an engagement, the girl is considered engaged, but for whom? This is a secret, although an open secret. Trinity is celebrated for two days. The days are too good for field work for long celebrations.
Application.
https://pandia.ru/text/78/216/images/image010_86.jpg" alt="(!LANG:C:\Documents" align="left" width="471" height="402 src=">!}
B. A copy of a photograph of a fragment of the fence of the Kamyshinsky Park of Culture and Leisure.
Application.
A. A copy of the plan of the city of Kamyshin. The plan is dated 1894.
https://pandia.ru/text/78/216/images/image012_65.jpg" alt="(!LANG:C:\Documents" align="left" width="545 height=402" height="402">Б. Копия фотографии Лютеранской церкви на улице Саратовской. Дата снимка неизвестна.!}
The flow of migrants from Europe that flooded into Russia in the 1860s changed the usual picture of Russian life. Among the settlers were Danes, Dutch, Swedes, but still the overwhelming majority of them were Germans.
great migration
On December 4, 1762, Catherine II signed the Manifesto, allowing foreigners to freely settle in the uninhabited territories of Russia. It was a far-sighted step of the empress, which allowed to develop the free lands of the "spacious Empire entrusted from God", as well as to multiply "inhabitants in it". Probably, there is no doubt that the Manifesto was primarily addressed to the Germans: who, if not the Anhalt-Zerbst princess, should know about the hard work and economy of this nation.
Why did thousands of Germans so suddenly begin to move from their homes to the uninhabited steppes of the Volga region? There were two reasons for this. The first was the very favorable conditions that Catherine II provided to the settlers. And this is the supply of travel money to the colonists, the choice of places for settlements at your own discretion, the absence of prohibitions on religion and the practice of rituals, exemption from taxes and military service, the ability to take an interest-free loan from the state for the improvement of the economy.
The second reason is related to the fact that in their homeland many Germans, primarily residents of Hesse and Bavaria, were subjected to oppression and restriction of freedoms, and in some places experienced economic needs. Against this background, the conditions proposed by the Russian Empress seemed to be a solution to pressing problems. Not the last role here was played by the propaganda work of the “callers” - read, recruiters who were sent to the German lands.
The German settlers had to make a difficult and long journey to discover the Russian terra incognita, which promises to become a new home for them. First, they traveled by land to Lubeck, from there by ship to St. Petersburg, then moved to Moscow, and again the water route awaited them - along the Volga to Samara, and only then the colonists' roads diverged throughout the Volga region.
economy
In a new place, the Germans are trying to recreate their traditional way of life and they do it with their characteristic methodicalness and thoroughness: they build houses, plant vegetable gardens, acquire poultry and cattle, and develop crafts. An exemplary German settlement can be called Sarepta, founded in 1765 at the mouth of the Sarpa River, which is 28 miles south of Tsaritsyn.
The village was fenced with an earthen rampart, on which cannons towered - protection in case of a Kalmyk raid. Wheat and barley fields spread around, saw and flour mills were installed on the river, and water supply was connected to the houses.
The settlers could use an unlimited amount of water not only for household needs, but also for abundant irrigation of orchards planted around.
Over time, weaving began to develop in Sarepta, which spread to other settlements: in addition to using peasant labor, factory production was also launched there. Sarpinka, a light cotton fabric, for which yarn was delivered from Saxony, and silk from Italy, was in great demand.
Lifestyle
The Germans brought their religion, culture and way of life to the Volga region. Freely professing Lutheranism, they, however, could not infringe on the interests of the Orthodox, however, they were allowed to convert Muslims to their faith, and even take them into serfs. The Germans tried to support friendly relations with neighboring peoples, and part of the youth diligently studied languages - Russian, Kalmyk, Tatar.
Observing all Christian holidays, the colonists nevertheless celebrated them in their own way. For example, on Easter, the Germans had a funny custom to put gifts in artificial nests - it was believed that the "Easter Bunny" brings them. On the eve of the main spring holiday, adults built nests from which they could, secretly from children, put colored eggs, cookies, sweets, and then sang songs in honor of the “Easter Bunny” and rolled colored eggs down the hill - whose egg is farther, he won .
The Germans easily adapted to the products that the Volga land gave them, but they could not do without their cuisine. Chicken soup and schnitzel were cooked here, strudel was baked and croutons were fried, and a rare feast was complete without “kuhen” - a traditional open pie with fruit and berry filling.
Hard times
For more than a hundred years, the Volga Germans enjoyed the privileges granted to them by Catherine II, until the unification of Germany took place in 1871. This was perceived by Alexander II as a potential threat to Russia - the abolition of privileges for Russian Germans was not long in coming. Of course, this did not apply to the grand ducal families who had German roots.
Since that time, German organizations are prohibited from using their native language in public, all Germans receive the same rights as Russian peasants and come under general Russian jurisdiction. And the general conscription introduced in 1874 also applies to the colonists. It is no coincidence that the next few years were marked by a massive outflow of Volga Germans to the West, up to the North and South America. This was the first wave of emigration.
When Russia entered the First World War, the already popular anti-German sentiment intensified. Russian Germans were willingly accused of espionage and complicity with the German army, they became a convenient object for all kinds of ridicule and mockery.
After the October Revolution, collectivization came to the Volga region, especially prosperous German households suffered from its consequences: those who refused to cooperate were severely punished, and many were shot. In 1922, famine broke out in the Volga region. Assistance from the Soviet government did not bring tangible results. With renewed vigor, the famine struck in 1933 - it was the most terrible year for the Volga region, which claimed, among other things, the lives of more than 50 thousand Germans.
Hoping for the best
The movement of supporters of German autonomy, which intensified with the advent of Soviet power, bore fruit on October 19, 1918. On this day, the first autonomous region of the Volga Germans in the RSFSR was formed, although it was not destined to exist for long - 23 years. Soon, the vast majority of Germans had to leave their homes.
In the late 1930s, repressions touched the Volga Germans, and with the outbreak of World War II they were subjected to mass deportation - to Siberia, Altai, and Kazakhstan. Nevertheless, the Germans did not give up hope of returning to their native lands. Almost all post-war years right up to the collapse of the USSR, they tried to restore their autonomy, but the Soviet government had its own reasons for not moving forward with resolving this delicate issue.
In August 1992, a referendum was held in the Saratov region, in which the majority of the population opposed the creation of German autonomy. The German “law of return” arrived just in time, which made it possible to obtain German citizenship as soon as possible - this opened the way for the Germans to their historical homeland. Who could have foreseen that the process of the great German migration to the Volga region, launched by Catherine II, would be reversed.
Many residents of Germany moved to the Russian state already during the reign of Princes Ivan III and Vasily III. And on the territory of the Volga region, "serving Germans" appeared during the reign of the second Russian tsar from the Romanov dynasty - Alexei the Quietest. Some of them became governors and held high positions in the civil service.
Volga Germans.Colonists from Germany in the Lower Volga region
After the adoption of the Manifestos of Catherine II, aimed at the development of the steppes and sparsely populated outskirts, foreigners began to arrive in the Russian Empire even more actively. They were invited to populate the lands of the Orenburg, Belgorod and Tobolsk province, as well as a city in the Astrakhan province of Saratov, which was considered the center of the fish and salt industries. Since then, its commercial and economic importance began to grow even more.
A year later, the Empress created a special office for the guardianship of foreigners, with Count Orlov appointed as its president. This helped the tsarist government to attract people from the German principalities devastated by the war, not only through its own agents, but also with the help of "callers" - the Germans who had already settled in the state. They were granted equal rights, as well as numerous privileges and benefits.
Arrival of immigrants. Creation of the first colonies
The first batch of colonists who arrived consisted of only 20 people. Among them were specialists in the cultivation of mulberry trees and artisans, who immediately went to Astrakhan. Later, about 200 more Germans arrived, settling in the area along the banks of the Volga near Saratov. And since 1764, they began to arrive on the territory of the state by the thousands.
First colonies. The arrivals were first settled in the apartments of the townspeople, then they began to build special barracks for them. Under the first 5 colonies, lands were allocated in Sosnovka, Dobrinka and Ust-Kulalinka. A year later, 8 more crown colonies and the first defiant colony were founded, which became the residence of Jean Debouf. As a result, 105 colonies were created in 10 years, where 23,200 colonists lived. The last wave of emigration from Prussia is considered to be the settlement of Mennonites in the Samara and Novouzensk districts. Between 1876 and 1913, about 100,000 people emigrated to Russia.
German colony of Blumenfeld. As a result, due to overpopulation, the colonists faced a shortage of land - one man had only 7-8 acres of land. For this reason, some of them arbitrarily settled in the direction of the Stavropol province and the Caucasus, where they created "subsidiary" colonies. Hundreds of families moved from the Volga region to Bashkiria, the Orenburg province, Siberia and even to Asia.
Accelerated assimilation with the population, religion and customs
Russian Germans were allowed unhindered cultural and national development. Soon they founded the famous German Quarter on the new lands. They were provided not only with their own housing, but also with agricultural equipment. Many families received livestock - 2 horses and a cow each.
The Germans quickly settled in a foreign land. More than half of them were farmers, the rest had 150 different professions. Therefore, first of all, the colonists began plowing the fertile lands allocated to them - they grew vegetables, increased the crops of flax, oats, rye, hemp, and most importantly, they introduced potatoes and white Turks. The rest were engaged in fishing and cattle breeding. Gradually, a real colonial industry was organized: lard factories were opened, leather production, the manufacture of flour in water mills, the creation of woolen cloth, the oil industry, and shoemaking developed. But for the Russian government, military specialists and educated doctors became the most important. The masters of mining and engineers also aroused interest.
Ekaterinenstadt regiment, formed from the Volga Germans. As for the spiritual life, most of the colonists were Catholics, the rest leaned towards Lutheranism, or even preferred atheism. Christmas was celebrated only by religious people. On this holiday, they have a habit of decorating a Christmas tree, reading the Bible and giving sweets to children for reading a rhyme. On Easter, according to tradition, an Easter bunny was placed in the basket, which allegedly brought gifts to the kids. And in October, the Germans celebrated the Harvest Festival. Among the notable features of German cuisine were dumplings, sausages, schnitzel, mashed potatoes, goose with stewed cabbage. As a dessert, strudel and sweet croutons were often made.
Contemporary Volga Germans in Russia
The First World War and the new policy of the government led to the mass eviction of Germans from the Volga region "to places of compact residence." About 60 thousand deportees arrived in the Saratov and Samara provinces. As part of the anti-German campaign, these settlements were given Russian names, and the inhabitants were forbidden to speak their native language in public. They were planned to be evicted outside the country, but this was prevented by the February Revolution. With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, a mass deportation of the foreign population from the Volga region was nevertheless carried out - hundreds of German settlements disappeared.
Deportation of the Volga Germans. The return of German families to Russia began in 1956. Since there was an official ban, the resettlement was carried out semi-legally. Local collective-farm and state-farm leaders accepted foreigners on their farms due to a shortage of labor. This practice has become widespread in the Stalingrad region. After the ban on the return of foreigners to the areas of their former habitation was lifted, their influx increased significantly. According to the population census, in 1989 there were about 45,000 Germans in the territory of the Volgograd, Kuibyshev and Saratov regions. Later, their migration to their homeland was observed, as well as simultaneous migration from Kazakhstan and Asia to the Volga region.
The number of Volga Germans in Russia today is 400 thousand people./ At present, a whole structure of district and regional German national-cultural autonomies has been created in the Volga region, which are managed by the Coordinating Council, located in Saratov. There are also many organizations: the German Cultural Centers, the All-German Association Heimat, the Community of the Volga Germans and others. In addition, Catholic and Lutheran communities function, German magazines and newspapers are published. The number of Volga Germans is about 400 thousand people.
In the 60s of the 18th century, Germans began to migrate to Russia on a large scale and colonization, mainly, of lands in the Lower Volga region. Up to the present time, the descendants of the German colonists of the Volga region constitute a special ethnographic group.
Short story
Catherine II, having published in 1763 a manifesto “On Permission for All Foreigners Entering Russia to Settle in Different Provinces of Their Choice”, did not mean to attract only Germans to Russia. Activities for the recruitment of colonists and the benefits provided to them were designed for any cultural Europeans. But it so happened that the majority of immigrants were residents of different states of Germany. The growing lack of land in their homeland prompted the Germans to do this.
The conditions for the settlers gave an advantage to those who decided to devote themselves to agriculture. Farmers were exempted from any taxes for 30 years, while the terms of benefits for persons of other occupations were much shorter. In addition, future farmers could count on lifting and travel tickets to the place of settlement. For the settlement of the colonists, virgin lands were provided, mainly in Novorossia and in the Lower Volga region.
Foreigners who settled in whole agricultural colonies received the right to self-government. They were under the special jurisdiction of the "Chancery of guardianship of foreigners" in St. Petersburg. In 1833, the office was abolished, and the German colonies were included in the general order in the existing provinces and counties.
The privileged regime for immigrants to Russia was in effect until 1819. After that, the Russian government left it only for the Protestant community of Mennonites. Those came to Russia until 1874. In that year, universal military duty was introduced in Russia. Most of the Mennonites who had already moved to Russia, being pacifists, then left for America.
For self-preservation in the events of the October Revolution, the Volga Germans declared themselves loyal to the Soviet government and in 1918 created the Labor Commune of the Volga Germans (since 1923 - the ASSR of the Volga Germans). This allowed them to avoid many of the negative consequences of the Bolshevik experiments. The Volga Germans themselves carried out collectivization. But in 1941 they did not manage to avoid total forced eviction to Kazakhstan. The Republic of Volga Germans was abolished.
Special nation
By the beginning of the 20th century, about 400 thousand Germans lived in the Volga region. Their ancestors came to Russia from different states long before the Germans began to feel like a single nation. Thanks to this, the inhabitants of the colonies for a very long time retained the dialects of those regions of Germany from where they originated. For a long time they called themselves not Germans (Deutschen), but Swabians, Hessians, Silesians, etc. Awareness of oneself as one people came mainly through communication with the surrounding Russians. However, it was very limited until the end of the 19th century. Each German rural district was a self-contained semi-enclosed little world.
Saratov attorney at law from the Volga Germans Justus wrote in 1914 that “the German colonist of the Volga region is not a type of German nation, descendants of the ancient Teutons. This is a new people, even a new race, created in special living conditions. The word "German", by which the colonists are called, is a form devoid of any content. With this word, one should represent a West European German-German: the colonist is not a German in this sense, but not a Russian either. The colonists are a new, original, self-sufficient nation, absolutely nothing like the German-German.
A special warehouse of the Volga Germans developed in the fight against unusual nature, in the absence of many cultural means that they had in their historical homeland. “The colonists are really uncultured,” noted the same publicist, comparing them with the Germans of Germany, “their morals are rude and harsh.”
However, the difference between the Germans of the Volga region and the Germans of Germany did not mean their rapprochement with the Russians. Until 1871, the Russian language was not even taught in the schools of the German colonies of the Volga region, and all attempts by the authorities to plant it in parochial schools at churches and churches were met with organized sabotage by the local clergy. In practice, this led to the fact that in 1897 only 18% of the Volga Germans knew Russian.
rural community
Many colonists were attracted to the Volga region not by the desire to create a prosperous colony, but by the preferential treatment provided for farmers. As a result, among the first settlers there were up to 40% of people who were not engaged in agriculture. Serious difficulties were created by the harsh local climate. The average January temperature in the trans-Volga steppes reaches minus 15 degrees (with zero in most of Germany), forty-degree frosts are not uncommon; in summer, it’s a common thing - heat is over 40, droughts, dry winds.
Traditional farming skills were no good in such conditions. Much had to be borrowed from the surrounding Russian population. The rural community became the most basic such borrowing. Most of the German colonists in their new homeland were forced to abandon private ownership of land and introduced periodic equalizing land redistributions. When in 1906-1907. Since the tsarist government everywhere began to destroy the community and introduce private peasant ownership of the land, this reform took place in the German colonies with the same difficulties as in most Great Russian villages.
strange customs
While in Germany during the late XVIII - XIX centuries. there was an evolution of morals and families, the Volga Germans at the beginning of the twentieth century retained a very patriarchal way of life. Ethnographers noted that in the families of the colonists, the power of the head of the family, the obedience of the younger to the elders, and morals are very strict. This was noticeable when compared not only with the Germans of Germany, but also with the Russian peasantry of the post-reform period.
Contemporaries also observed the great religiosity of the Volga Germans. At the same time, the confessional composition of the colonists did not differ much from that in Germany, except that among them the proportion of Protestants was higher - up to three quarters, of which more than half were Lutherans. About a quarter were Catholics.
Some of the customs and habits acquired by the Germans in their new homeland were noteworthy. The main holidays fell on Sundays in the fall, when the field work ended. These holidays (“kirmes” in the local language) were planned so that residents of neighboring villages could visit each other several times during the fall. Kirmes were celebrated like Russian Maslenitsa with plenty of food and drink. Moreover, the Volga Germans leaned mainly on vodka, and they drank little beer, so beloved in their homeland.
Among the Volga Germans, until the middle of the 20th century, a custom was preserved that had long disappeared in Germany itself - “the wedding of the dead” (Totenhochzeit). Its essence was that any deceased person who was not married during his lifetime was buried in a wedding dress (women - in a wedding dress). This custom, unlike in Germany, was observed regardless of the age of the deceased, even in relation to small children.
It is quite difficult to figure out who the Volga German is. Some experts consider this ethnic group to be part of the German nation, others - an original nationality that was formed on the territory of Russia. So who are the history of this nation will help us understand its ethnogenesis.
Reasons for the settlement of the Volga region by the Germans
Let's look at the reasons that led to the fact that the Germans settled in the Lower Volga region.
Of course, two factors played the most important role here. Firstly, the population of the Russian Empire did not allow optimal settlement and use of the entire territory of the state as efficiently as possible. To make up for the lack of workers, immigrants from abroad were attracted. Especially often this practice began to be used since the time of Catherine 2. The expanses of the vast Russian Empire were inhabited by Bulgarians, Greeks, Moldavians, Serbs and, of course, Germans, which will be discussed later. The Lower Volga region just belonged to such sparsely populated territories. More recently, there were nomads here, but it was beneficial for Russia to develop agriculture on these lands.
The second important factor that caused the formation of such an ethnic group as the Volga Germans was the overpopulation of the territory of Germany, which at that time represented a group of many independent states formally united in the so-called Holy Roman Empire of the German nation. The main problem was the lack of land for everyone who wanted to work on it. In addition, the Germans experienced significant economic harassment from local authorities, and the Russian government offered them unprecedented benefits.
Thus, the Russian Empire needed workers to cultivate its vast expanses, and the Germans needed land that they could cultivate to feed their families. It was the coincidence of these interests that led to the mass migration of the German population to the territory of the Volga region.
Manifesto
The manifesto of Catherine II, published at the end of 1762, served as a direct signal for the resettlement of Germans and other peoples in Russia. He allowed foreigners to freely settle in the territory of the empire.
In the summer of the following year, this document was supplemented by another manifesto, which stated that foreigners themselves could choose their place of residence within the borders of Russia.
It is noteworthy that Catherine 2 herself was a German by nationality and a native of the principality of Anhalt-Zerbst, therefore she understood that the inhabitants of Germany, feeling the need for land, would be the first to respond to the call of the Russian monarchy. In addition, she knew firsthand about the thriftiness and hard work of the Germans.
Benefits for colonists
To attract the colonists, the government of Catherine II granted them a number of benefits. In the event of a shortage of money for moving, Russian residents abroad had to provide them with sufficient material resources for the trip.
In addition, all colonists were exempted from paying taxes to the treasury for various periods if they settled in certain territories, in particular, in the Lower Volga region. Most often, the period of exemption from taxes was equal to thirty years.
Another important factor that contributed to the rapid colonization of some lands of the Russian Empire by foreigners was the issuance of an interest-free loan to immigrants for ten years. It was intended for the construction of houses in new places of settlement, outbuildings, for the development of the economy.
The Russian authorities guaranteed non-interference of officials in the internal affairs of the colonists. To improve life in the colonies and their relationship with government agencies, it was planned to create a separate organization with the powers of a collegium.
Recruitment of settlers
The state authorities were not limited to simply providing the possibility of resettlement and issuing a number of attractive benefits to the colonists. They began to pursue a policy of active agitation. To do this, newspapers and leaflets with campaign materials began to be distributed on the territory of the German lands. In addition, there were persons in Germany who recruited immigrants. These people were both civil servants and entrepreneurs, the so-called "callers", who entered into an agreement with government agencies to recruit colonists.
Over the course of four years, starting in 1763, when the flow of immigrants was most intense, about 30 thousand people arrived in Russia as colonists. Of these, about half were recruited by "callers". Most of those who wanted to go to live in Russia were from Bavaria, Baden and Hesse.
Organization of the first settlements
Initially, the colonists were taken to St. Petersburg (later to Oranienbaum, a suburb of the capital), where they got acquainted with the life and culture of Russia, and also took an oath of allegiance to the emperor. Only then they went to the lands of the Southern Volga region.
I must say that this path was quite difficult and dangerous. During this journey, for various reasons, more than three thousand immigrants died, or almost 12.5% of the total.
The first settlement, which was now organized by the Russian Germans, was the colony of Lower Dobrinka, in the German way called Moninger. It was founded in the summer of 1764 near Tsaritsyn.
In total, 105 colonies of German settlers were organized in the Lower Volga region. Of these, 63 colonies were founded by "callers", and another 42 - by state bodies.
Life in the colonies
Since then, the Volga German has firmly settled on Russian soil, began to improve his life and gradually merge into the public life of the empire, while not forgetting his roots.
The settlers brought with them many agricultural implements, until then practically not used in Russia. They also used an effective three-field turnover. The main crops grown by the Volga Germans were cereals, flax, potatoes, hemp, and tobacco. Some types of plants were introduced into large-scale circulation in the Russian Empire precisely thanks to this nation.
But the Volga German lived not only by agriculture, although this industry remained the basis of his activity. The colonists began to engage in industrial processing of the products of their farms, in particular, the production of flour and sunflower oil. In addition, weaving began to develop actively in the Volga region.
Approximately such remained the life of the German colonists in the Volga region during the XVIII-XIX centuries.
Organization of the Autonomous Republic
Fundamentally changed life in the country. This event also had a huge impact on the life of the Volga Germans.
Initially, it seemed that the arrival of the Communists promised the Germans a further expansion of their rights and opportunities for self-government. In 1918, on the part of the former Samara and Saratov provinces, the Volga Germans were created, which until 1923 had the status. This entity was directly part of the RSFSR, but enjoyed great opportunities for self-government.
The administrative center of the ASSR of the Volga Germans was first Saratov, and since 1919 - Marxstadt (now the city of Marx). In 1922, the center was finally transferred to the city of Pokrovsk, which in 1931 received the name Engels.
The main body of power in the republic was the Central Executive Committee of the Soviets, and since 1937 - the Supreme Council.
German was used as a second language for office work. At the beginning of 1939, about two-thirds of the population of this formation were Volga Germans.
Collectivization
However, it cannot be said that the Volga German could enjoy life under Soviet rule. If the majority of the peasant population of Russia were former serfs and, after liberation from serfdom, at best became landless peasants, then among the Germans there was a rather high percentage of wealthy owners. This was explained by the fact that the conditions for the colonization of the Volga region implied the endowment of people with large tracts of land. Therefore, there were many farms that were regarded by the Bolshevik authorities as "kulak".
The Volga Germans are the people of Russia, who almost suffered the most from the process of "dispossession". Many representatives of this ethnic group were arrested, imprisoned and even shot in the process of collectivization. Organized collective farms, due to imperfect management, could not work even with a hundredth part of the efficiency with which the destroyed farms worked.
Holodomor
But this is not the worst thing in the life of the German Volga region. The region was gripped by an unprecedented famine. It was caused not only by crop failure, but also by the fact that the collective farms were forced to hand over all the grain to the state. In terms of the scale of the Holodomor that engulfed the Volga region, it is comparable only to a similar phenomenon that took place at the same time on the territory of Ukraine and Kazakhstan.
It is very difficult to determine the exact number of Germans who died from starvation, but, according to estimates, the total mortality of the population in the autonomous republic in 1933 was 50.1 thousand people, while in 1931 it was 14.1 thousand people. For two years, the famine claimed, at best, tens of thousands of lives of the Volga Germans.
Deportation
The final blow that the Russian Germans received from the Stalinist regime was their forced deportation.
The first purposeful actions of a repressive nature against them began in the second half of the 1930s, when relations between the USSR and Nazi Germany heated up. Stalin saw a threat in all Germans, regarding them as potential agents of the Reich. Therefore, all representatives of this nationality, working for the defense industry or serving in the army, were at best fired, and often arrested.
The beginning of the Great Patriotic War meant a new tragic turn in the fate of the long-suffering people. During the second half of 1941 - the first half of 1942, the Volga Germans were deported from their native places to remote regions of Kazakhstan, Siberia and Central Asia. Moreover, they were given a day to collect, and only a limited number of personal items were allowed to take with them. The deportation was carried out under the control of the NKVD.
During the operation, almost 1 million Germans were taken out from various regions of the USSR, but most of them were residents of the Volga region.
Current position
Most of the repressed Volga Germans were never able to return to their homeland. They tried to organize their autonomy in Kazakhstan in the late 70s, but met resistance from the local population. Attempts of mass return to the Volga region after the collapse of the Soviet regime were also doomed to failure, since the houses in which the Volga Germans once lived were now inhabited by new residents who did not want to return them to their former owners. Therefore, many ethnic Germans left for Germany. Only a part of them managed to return to the city of Engels. The Volga region is currently not a place of compact residence of representatives of the mentioned ethnic group.
Now about 500 thousand Volga Germans inhabit various regions of Russia, about 180 thousand continue to live in Kazakhstan, but many have left for Germany, the USA, Canada and Argentina.
culture
The Volga Germans have a rather distinctive culture, which is equally different from both the customs of the Russians and the culture of the indigenous population of Germany.
The vast majority of representatives of this nation are Christians of various denominations, mainly of the Protestant direction (Lutherans, Baptists, Mennonites, etc.), but quite a lot of them are Orthodox and Catholics.
Despite years of deportation and separation, many Volga Germans still retain their culture and language. It can be said that over the centuries of being outside Germany, they have become a separate ethnic group, which, however, is related to the nationality that now lives in the historical homeland of all Germans.