Germany

Russian colony Alexandrovka

Even before Potsdam entered our history after World War II, Russian Cossacks settled here. Surprisingly, for 200 years it was possible to maintain the authentic atmosphere of the patriarchal Russian village. It seems that there is no such miracle even in Russia. So the Russian village could look!

Colonist's House, photo by Olaf

Aleksandrovka is an ideal Russian village in Germany

In 1806, the army of Napoleon defeated the Prussian-Saxon troops, and an alliance with France against Russia was imposed on the defeated Prussia. In 1812, more than a thousand soldiers were captured by the French and 62 of them remained in Potsdam. They formed a choir formally assigned to the first guards regiment of Prussia.

When a treaty of neutrality was concluded in December 1812, and Prussia united with Russia against France, a separate regiment was formed from captured Russian soldiers, who took part in the battles against Napoleon, and the Potsdam choir of Russian prisoners of war entertained the Prussian king in the military camp. The retired singers were replaced by Russian grenadiers: Emperor Alexander I allowed the choir to remain in Prussia and allocated seven grenadiers from his guard to replenish the guard of the Prussian king.

By 1825, when Alexander I died, 12 chorus singers survived in Potsdam, and in the spring of 1826, Frederick William III established a colony near Potsdam in memory of his friendship with the Russian Tsar, which he ordered the remaining singers to name and named in honor of Alexander I - Alexandrovka (Russische Kolonie Alexandrowka).

Church of Alexander Nevsky (Alexander-Newski-Gedächtniskirche), photo A.Savin

In 1827, the colonists celebrated a housewarming party, 12 farmsteads and a two-story caretaker's house without a garden were erected. The houses were furnished, gardens were laid out next to them, a cow was allocated to each household. The colonists did not have the right to dispose of the plots, but they could inherit. An Orthodox church of Alexander Nevsky was built on Mount Kapellenberg. Nearby was the 14th house, in which Tarnovsky, the foreman of the royal teahouse, lived on the top floor. In 1891, the last of the singers died. By the centenary of the colony, only four families of direct descendants of the first colonists lived in it, and after the land reform there were two of them left.

A restaurant
House with garden
The ideal Russian village
Colonist
House in Aleksandrovka
All done with love
Speaker

Russian colony - UNESCO site

Today, one family lives here - the Grigorievs. The colony was in the personal ownership of the royal house of Prussia, and until 1945 the rights and obligations of its inhabitants remained the same as under the king. When Germany merged in 1990, most of the houses became private property. Since 1999, the architectural complex of the colony has been recognized by UNESCO as worthy of inclusion in the World Heritage List.

Watch the video: Alexandrowka, Александровка, Alexandrovka. (November 2024).

Popular Posts

Category Germany, Next Article

How was the Gucci brand created?
Italian brands

How was the Gucci brand created?

Gucci is a world-famous fashion house of Italian origin, specializing in the production of premium class shoes, clothes, textiles, cosmetics and accessories. Today, the brand is part of the multinational retailer Kering. It is considered the second largest sales label after LVMH (Moët Hennessy - Louis Vuitton).
Read More
The history of the Italian brand Prada
Italian brands

The history of the Italian brand Prada

Prada is a world-famous fashion house of Italian origin. Currently, he specializes in the production of luxury women's and men's clothing, shoes, glasses, perfumes and cosmetics, as well as accessories. The headquarters, the head office of the company, is located in Milan (Milano). The history of the brand. Like many world famous and legendary Italian clothing brands, Prada grew out of a small family store.
Read More
U-boat watch
Italian brands

U-boat watch

U-Boat Watch is a world famous Italian brand specializing in the production of premium watches. The products are distinguished by an unusual characteristic design, massiveness, impressive thickness of the case. A peculiar highlight of the watch are the large numbers, unique in appearance, located on the dial.
Read More
Fendi
Italian brands

Fendi

Fendi is one of the most famous Italian fashion houses, which specializes in the production of accessories, wardrobe items, cosmetics, perfumes, as well as genuine leather and fur products. Who stood at the origins? The brand’s history dates back to 1918, when the aspiring entrepreneur, Adele Casagrande, came up with the idea of ​​opening her own store selling leather and fur wardrobe attributes.
Read More