The document summarizes the history of the village of Hnadenfeld (later renamed Bogdanivka) in southern Ukraine, which was founded in 1835 by Mennonite families from Germany. It describes the origins and growth of the village, including details about the church, school, hospital, homes of prominent families, cemetery and museum. Sources of information about the village's history are also listed.

1. The project was created by
Inna Ivashina

2. Prehistory
Strolling through the shady chestnut alleys
of our village, I often think of those people who probably
walked here a hundred years ago. Who planted these
beautiful trees? Who built these cozy houses? Whom
do I owe to what I call my little Motherland?

5. From the history
After the first Mennonite colony in Russia, Chortitza, was founded in 1789,
Mennonite visitors found the freedoms and free land of Russia an attractive
alternative in view of restrictions placed on them in West Prussia. The Russian
government wanted more settlers with the valuable agricultural and craft skills of the
Mennonites.
In 1800 Paul I of Russia enacted a Privilegium (official privileges) for
Mennonites granting them exemption from military service "for all time." In West
Prussia King Frederick William III was making it difficult for Mennonites to acquire
land, because of their refusal to serve in the military. Another reason to immigrate
was fear of the changes brought about by the French Revolution. Refuge in Russia
was seen as a more secure alternative. The first settlers, 162 families, came in 1803
to the existing Chortitza settlement and over-wintered there. The first villages were
founded in 1804. The Russian government set aside a 1,200 km2 (297,000 acres)
tract of land for the settlers along the Molotschna River in the Taurida Governorate.
The next year an additional group of about the same size arrived. Each family
received 0.7 km2 (170 acres) of land. In contrast to the settlement of Chortitza,
wealthy Mennonites also immigrated. They sold their farms, paid a 10% emigration
tax and brought the remainder to Russia. Arriving with superior farming skills and
more wealth, new farms and businesses were created more easily than had been the
case in Chortitza. Between 1803 and 1806, 365 families came to Molotschna. Further
immigration was prevented during the Napoleonic Wars. Another 254 families came
from 1819-20. After 1835 immigration to Molotschna ended, with about 1200 families
totaling some 6000 people moving from Prussia. The settlement consisted of 1,750
km2 (432,000 acres) of land with 46 villages and total population of about 10,000.

7. Hnadenfeld
Hnadenfeld (from
German – Grace Field)
was founded in 1835
by 40 Mennonite
families of old Flemish
religious community,
who came from villages
and Brenkenhofsalde
frantstal Brandenburg
province of the Western
Prussia in 1765.
Later the village was
renamed in
Bogdanivka.

8. Gnadenfeld was the German
colony:
• 80 yards
• 730 people
• 70 miles from the county town
• the local court
• meeting house
• 2 schools
• Zemstvo doctor
• post office
• dye house
• 3 shops
• lumberyard
The Post Office
• brickyard (6 miles away)

9. The agricultural and land census
of 1917

10. The lifestyle
• Mennonites put literacy high,
considering it "the most
important need of society"; All
of them were illiterate, boys
and girls had to attend school.
Everybody, even the
opponents of foreign colonists,
argued that the Mennonites
were hardworking, liked order,
were moral, humane and
sober. They lived in large and
comfortable houses (about
30% of the stone), and mostly Family of Cornelius Witte
with small families.

11. The building of urban
governance
When Molotschna Colony was
divided into 2 administrative
parts, Hnadenfeld became the
centre of Eastern parish wich
included 27 villages. The
building of urban governance
was built in 1872.
There were 100 industrial
enterprises (1908): 3 factories
of agricultural machines, 38
windmills, two forges, 11 brick
plants, etc. in Hnadenfeld
parish.

12. Mennonite Church (1854).
It was the Menonitte
community but part of the
inhabitants were Lutherans. In
1860, Mennonites split on
church and brotherly
communities.On April 13, 1863
"Evangelical Mennonite
community of Gnadenfeld was
established ", whose members
called themselves" Friends of
Jerusalem. "The leaders of the Photo of the church from the street,1900
community, brothers Johann
and Friedrich Lange, went to
St. Petersburg in 1866, and
after 7 months received
recognition of the community
and a permit for resettlement
in the foothills of the Caucasus
from the government.
From the backyard

13. Secondary school
The history of this institution dates back 1850, when it was
decided to organize a secondary school, called Brotherhood
school in Hnadenfeld. The school consisted of four
classrooms, a large assembly hall, teaching rooms and
apartments for teachers on the first floor. Wardrobe was
located in the basement, where you could also go to the
stairs from the yard. Toilets and outbuildings were located
in the yard of school. The walls of houses were built of brick
and roof was covered with tiles.

14. The Hospital
Hospital was in a
long rectangular
building, which was
very similar to other
rural buildings, but
slightly larger. Brick
walls had a
traditional ornament
around the
windows. The
primary purpose of
the building was
clinic and day care.

15. The House of Dietrich Rempel
Rempel-Mennonites before the
revolution were engaged
mainly in agriculture. Many of
them owned large plots of
land. During the World War I,
laws were passed providing for
termination of the German
estates in the western
provinces of the Empire. The
category of "Germans" was From the street
applied to the Mennonites too.
The archives are preserved
lists of farms designated for
expropriation and claims for
erroneous deduction of
Mennonites to the Germans
and their misuse of them,
"liquidation" of the law.
From the backyard

16. The House of Jacob Raubsh
This large brick house
was built parallel to the
street. As it was usually
for Mennonite culture,
decor consisted of brick
pilasters at the corners of
buildings and between the
windows of the facade. To
emphasize these
elements the house was
painted in different colors.

17. The museum was made
by Mykola Yeremenko,
historian in one of the
former Mennonite
houses (1848).
It is the objects’
exhibition of everyday
life of ancient
Mennonites, who lived
peacefully here and
developed their culture,
maintained the order of
the surrounding territory,
wherever they were.
Unfortunately today the
museum doesn’t work.

18. Old Mennonite Cemetery
In Bogdanivka
(formerly Gnadenfeld)
a monument was
placed at the site of
the former Mennonite
cemetery.
Today the monument is
under the informal
auspices of
schoolchildren

19. Sources:
• Волости и важнейшие селения Европейской
России / chortiza.heimat.eu/Dok/1877.pdf
• Деревни Украины. Описание /
http://www.koptit.ru/719/2123314/4
• Rudy P. Friesen. Building on the past. Mennonite
Architecture, Landscape and Settlements in
Russia/Ukraine. - Raduga Publications. - Winnipeg, MB.
- 752 pages
Organwork by Johann Helmich Roman

20. Thank
I cannot resist
sending along some
words of praise for
Rudy Friesen's great
book. It has helped
me very much.

21. THANK YOU
FOR
YOUR ATTENTION AND
BE OUR GUESTS!