Enclaves of South Russia

Baratov Colony (Ekaterinoslav) 

The Baratov Colony was established in 1871-72 with land purchased by the Chortitza Colony. Seventy-four families established two settlements, Neu-Chortitza and Gnadental, in the Ekaterinoslav Province. The Baratov and Schlachtin colonies formed one administrative unit. Colonists from both belonged to the Neu-Chortitza Mennonite Church. The villages had elementary schools, and for a time there was a secondary school in Gnadental. 

Berdyansk (Taurida)

Four colonies founded by Württemberg Separatist colonies made up the Berdyansk enclave in Taurida. They, like those who settled Hoffnungstal near Glückstal, they wanted to go on to the South Caucasus, but they were not permitted to do so. The Berdyansk Mother colonies were established between 1822 and 1831: Neu-Hoffnungstal, Neu-Hoffnung, Rosenfeld and Neu-Stuttgart. 

Beresan ( Kherson)

Between 1809-1810, there was a heavy influx of German settlers to South Russia. Initially, 600 families were sent to the Beresan river valley where they founded eight Mother colonies. Another 200 families were sent there between 1817-19. In total, they founded 12 Mother colonies between 1809 and 1819, a mix of Catholic and Protestant settlements: Johannestal, Karlsruhe, Katharinental, Landau, München (Muenchen), Rastatt, Rohrbach, Speyer, Sulz, Waterloo and Worms.

Bergtal Colony (Ekaterinoslav) 

Bergtal Colony started with the founding of the Bergtal village northwest of Mariupol in 1836. Consisting of 29 families, the colonists were all from the Flemish Church to avoid the same interfactional strife that had occurred in earlier settlements. This was followed by the founding of Friedrichstal, Heuboden, Schönfeld [Schoenfeld] and Schöntal [Schoental]. When the Mennonites who lived in the Bergtal Colony emigrated from Russia to Canada in the late 1870s, the land was sold to the Grunau/Planer Catholics and Lutherans. 

Borissovo Colony (Ekaterinoslav)

Borissovo Colony was a Mennonite daughter colony founded in 1892 in the province of Ekaterinoslav by colonists from Chortitza Colony. Two settlements were established, each with a school. Church members were affiliated with the New York Mennonite Church in the Ignatyevo Colony. 

Borozenko Colony (Ekaterinoslav) 

Founded between 1865 and 1867, the Borozenko Colony was settled by families from the Molotschna and Chortitza colonies. It became the center of Kleine Gemeinde Mennonite denomination, of which almost all immigrated to North America, settling in Manitoba, Nebraska and Kansas. 

Chortitza Colony  (Ekaterinoslav) 

Chortitza Colony was the first Mennonite colony in South Russia, established in 1789 on the Dnieper River. Mennonite leaders responded to recruiters and negotiated a special agreement with the Russian government. Their numbers grew rapidly, and by 1848, there were 7,217 families. The 18 Mother colonies were founded between 1789-1824: Alt-Kronsweide, Blumengart, Burwalde, Chortitza, Einlage, Insel Chortitza, Kronsgarten, Kronstal, Neuenburg, Neuendorf, Neuhorst, Nieder Chortitz, Osterwick, Rosengart, Rosental, Schöneberg [Schoenberg], Schönhorst [Schoenhorst] and Schönwiese [Schoenwiese].

Crimea (Taurida) 

German immigrants who arrived in the Odessa area in the fall of 1803 had considerable experience with wine making. The Russian authorities settled them in Crimea where the climate and conditions were favorable for the production of wine. The wine they produced was some of the best in Russia. The colonies on the Crimean peninsula were not an enclave per se, but they were numerous, a mix of Catholic and Protestant. The Mother colonies were founded between 1804 and 1810: Friedental, Heilbrunn, Herzenberg, Kronental, Neusatz, Odus, Rosental, Stary Krym, Sudak and Zürichtal [Zuerichtal]. 

Fürstenland Colony (Taurida) 

Founded between 1864 and 1870, Fürstenland [Fuerstenland] was a Chortitza daughter colony. Each of the six original villages were given both a name and a number: Georgestal (No. 1), Olgafeld (No. 2), Michaelsburg (No. 3), Rosenbach (No. 4), Alexandertal (No. 5) and Sergeyevka (No. 6). 

Glückstal (Kherson)

The Glückstal [Glueckstal] colonists were originally settled in Grigoripol in 1804-1805 and resettled to the Moldovan village of Glinoi in 1809. The four Protestant Mother colonies were founded between 1809-1810: Bergdorf, Glückstal, Kassel and Neudorf. In the winter of 1817, Separatists arrived in South Russia intending on going to the South Caucasus. Asked to stay and settle, they founded Hoffnugstal about 35 kilometers from the Glückstal colonies in 1818. It remained an isolated colony for several years. Sometimes Glückstal and Hoffnungstal are separated into two enclaves. But the facts are 1) they were in the same geographic area; 2) their colonies were settled together, mixed, with no borders per se; 3) their inhabitants intermarried and moved among the colonies with their spouses; 4) Glückstal daughter colonies were members of Hoffnungstal parishes; and 5) eventually, Reformed churches were established in Neudorf and Kassel. Hence, they are represented here together as a single enclave with multiple denominational parishes, as is found in other enclaves. 

Ignatyevo Colony (Ekaterinoslav) 

The Mennonite Ignatyevo Colony was established in 1888 by 244 mostly landless colonists from Chortitza. In addition to farming, 12 mills existed in the colony along with factories and brickyards. 

Jakowlewo Colony (Ekaterinoslav) 

Little information is known about Jakowlewo (Yakovlevo) Mennonite colony in Ekaterinoslav province. It’s believed it was founded in 1867/68 and named for the Eisenfeld (Yakovlevo) settlement in the colony. Researchers have used the GRanDMA database (Prussian & Russian Mennonite genealogy) along with translated documents from the State Archives of Zaporizhia Oblast to reconstruct the settlements and households that comprised this colony.

Jewish Agricultural (Ekaterinoslav and Kherson) 

There were many Jewish settlements in South Russia, including in the Kherson and Ekaterinoslav provinces, among others. Presumably Karl Stumpp included some of these colonies on his maps because they were co-settled with German Mennonite families that served as model farmers to the Jewish farmers. Mennonite farmers, in particular Johann Cornies of the Molotschna colonies, were very methodical and successful farmers, introducing dryland farming, the use of fertilizer, crop rotation, and other farming practices still in use today. 

Kronau (Ekaterinoslav and Kherson) 

The Kronau colonies were located to the east of the Inhulets River, across from Zagradovka Colony. These colonies were a mix of daughter colonies of Catholic, Mennonite and Protestant confessions.

Kutschurgan (Kherson) 

The Kutschurgan colonies were founded along the Kutschurgan river, a tributary of the Dniester, by Catholic families from primarily Alsace, Baden, Palatinate and Württemberg. The Mother colonies were all established between 1808-1809: Baden, Elsaß [Elsass], Kandel, Mannheim, Straßburg [Strassburg] and Selz. By 1820, the combined population had grown to 2,243. By 1859 the area had grown to 7,272, after which daughter colonies began to be established. These were often established by Kutschurgan sons, but sometimes Catholics from the Liebental or Beresan enclaves with join in the setting the new colonies. 

Liebental (Kherson) 

The group of colonists who founded the Liebental colonies were recruited from southwest Germany. Most went to Odessa while they waited for land to be assigned to them southwest of the city. Forty families in Lustdorf were artisans and were given half the land as other colonists because they were expected to practice their trades. Daughter colonies would become important to this group due to a large class of landless families that would develop. The 11 Mother colonies were founded between 1804-1817: Alexanderhilf, Franzfeld, Freudental, Großliebental [Grossliebental], Güldendorf [Gueldendorf], Josefstal, Kleinliebental, Lustdorf, Mariental, Neuburg and Peterstal.

Mariupol (Ekaterinoslav and Don Host) 

The Mariupol colonies are located on the north shore of the Sea of Azov next to the Chortitza, Molotschna colonies and Don Host and across the sea from the Caucasus. The Germans who settled colonies here arrived from West Prussia in small groups in 1818 and 1819 and lived and worked in the Molotschna Colony until land was found for them in 1822. Twenty-seven Mother colonies were founded between 1823 and 1848, a mix of Catholic and Protestant:  Darmstadt, Eichwald, Elisabethdorf, Göttland [Goettland], Grunau, Kaiserdorf, Kampenau, Kirschwald, Kronsdorf, Ludwigstal, Marienfeld, Mirau, Neu-Jamburg, Neuhof, Reichenberg, Rosenberg, Rosengart, Schönbaum [Schoenbaum], Tiegenhof, Tiegenort, Tiergart and Wickerau. This enclave was also called Grunau or Planer. 

Markuslandt Colony (Ekaterinoslav) 

Two villages comprised Markuslandt Colony: Andreasfeld and Friedrichstal. The Andreasfeld Mennonite Brethren Church was organized in 1870 as a branch of the Einlage Mennonite Brethren Church, the main congregation of the denomination in the Old Colony. 

Memrik Colony (Ekaterinoslav) 

Memrik Colony was established in 1885 as a Molotschna daughter colony. Initially, 221 landless Mennonite families settled in 10 villages: Alexanderhof, Bahndorf, Ebental, Karpovka, Kotlyarevka, Marienort, Memrik, Michaelsheim, Nordheim and Waldeck. 

Molotschna Colony (Taurida) 

A large tract of land east of the Molotschna River was assigned to create additional Mennonite colonies that the Chortitza area could not accommodate.  By the 1860s, the population had grown to 4,000 families, many of whom were landless.  Daughter colonies arose and were scattered across the Black Sea region. The 43 Mother colonies were all founded between 1804-1836: Alexandertal, Alexanderwohl, Altonau, Blumenort, Blumstein, Elisabethtal, Fischau, Franztal, Friedensdorf, Fürstenau [Fuerstenau], Fürstenwerder [Fuerstenwerder], Gnadenfeld, Gnadenheim, Großweide [Grossweide], Halbstadt, Konteniusfeld, Ladekopp, Lichtenau, Lichtfelde, Liebenau, Lindenau, Margenau, Mariental, Münsterberg [Muensterberg], Muntau, Neukirch, Orloff, Pastwa, Petershagen, Pordenau, Prangenau, Rosenort, Rückenau [Rueckenau], Rudnerweide, Schardau, Schönau [Schoenau], Schönsee [Schoensee], Sparrau, Tiege, Tiegenhagen, Tiegerweide, Waldheim and Wernersdorf.

Nepluyevka Colony (Ekaterinoslav) 

The Nepluyevka Colony was founded in 1870 on land rented from a nobleman named Nepluyevka. It consisted of two settlements,  Blumenfeld and Steinau, and was situated southeast of Borozenko Colony and about 16 kilometers from Nikopol. Mennonite Brethren organized in about 1885 and built a sanctuary in Steinau. It was affiliated with the Einlage Mennonite Brethren Church. 

Neu Rosengart Colony (Ekaterinoslav) 

Neu Rosengart Colony, a Chortitza daughter colony, was comprised of two villages founded between 1878-1880, Neu Rosengart and Kronsfeld.  

Prischib (Taurida) 

The Prischib colonies were founded beginning in 1804 in response to an influx of new German immigrants. The tract of land was west of the Molotschna river, opposite a newly founded Mennonite settlement. The 23 Mother colonies were founded between 1805-1825: Alt-Montal, Alt-Nassau, Blumental, Durlach, Friedrichsfeld, Grüntal [Gruental], Heidelberg, Hochstädt [Hochstaedt], Hoffental, Karlsruhe, Kostheim, Kronsfeld, Leitershausen, Neu-Montal, Neu-Nassau, Neudorf, Prischib, Reichenfeld, Rosental, Tiefenbrunn, Walldorf, Wasserau and Weinau.

Schlachtin Colony (Ekaterinoslav) 

In 1874, 200 families (~1,000 people) from Chortitza purchased and settled the Schlachtin colony  northwest of the Baratov Colony. They established two additional villages, Grünfeld [Gruenfeld] and Steinfeld. Baratov and Schlachtin together formed one administrative unit, and all belonged to the Neu-Chortitza Mennonite Church.

Schönfeld Colony (Ekaterinoslav) 

Schönfeld [Schoenfeld] Colony (sometimes called Brazol Colony) was situated north of the Molotschna and east of the Chortitza colonies in Ekaterinoslav Province. Unlike most Mennonite colonies, Schönfeld was made up of land purchased by individuals and scattered over a large area interspersed with other German and Russian settlements. The colony had 14 elementary schools and a Mennonite church in Schönfeld, an affiliate of the Lichtenau-Petershagen Church in the Molotschna Colony.

Schwedengebiet (Kherson)

The Schwedengebiet was a tract of land above the Dnieper River east of Berislav, originally given to 200 Swedish families freed from serfdom in 1872. Their journey to the area was disastrous. Two-thirds of those died or deserted before arriving.  Of the 70 families who arrived, more than half died in the first two years.  Since the Swedes were not occupying all of the land available, the Russian government gave the rest to German immigrants, who also failed at their first attempt to settle this area in 1786.  The second attempt between 1804-1805 was a bit more successful. The Mother colonies were a mix of Catholic and Protestant: Alt-Schwedendorf, Klosterdorf, Mühhausendorf [Muelhausendorf] and Schlangendorf.

Tcheroglas Colony (Ekaterinoslav) 

An isolated Mennonite colony called Gerhardstal founded in 1860 made up the Tchernoglas [Chernoglaz] Colony. Its neighbor was a German Protestant colony called Chernoglazovka. In October 1919, six people were murdered by [Nestor Ivanovych] Makhno gangs in Gerhardstal, according to a report in the October 1942 Stumpp/RMO (Reichsministerium für die Besetzten Ostgebiete) village reports. After this, the others moved to neighboring colonies.

Yazykovo Colony (Ekaterinoslav) 

The Yazykovo Colony was founded in 1869 north of the Chortitza Colony in the province of Ekaterinoslav. It consisted of eight villages, each with its own school, and initially 147 farms. 

Zagradovka Colony (Kherson) 

The Zagradovka Colony (also spelled Sagradovka) was to the west of the Inhulets River on 60,000 acres. The land was purchased by Leo V. Kochubey in 1871 for the purpose of establishing daughter colonies for Molotschna Mennonites. There were 16 colonies settled between 1872 and 1883. Another colony to the north, Nikolaidorf, considered itself a part of the Zagradovka settlement except administratively. It was sold in 1908 to Russians.