This amazing historical and architectural complexwill be able to see all who come to Volgograd. Sarepta is located on the southern outskirts of the city. This miraculously survived the construction of a settlement of Lutheran colonists, which was founded and was a religious community of the hernguters.
Today, the largest area of the city, as interritorial ratio, and by population, is Krasnoarmeysk. But 230 years ago on this earth was a small town, which was founded by immigrants from Germany. He was called Sarepta.
In the XVIII century, the Empress of Russia Catherine IIinvited her compatriots to take part in the development of the vacant southern regions of Russia. Her herguns, who lived in Saxony, responded to her call first. They were Christians, descendants of the Moravian and Czech brothers, who were forced to leave their homeland after the suppression of the Hussite revolution. Several decades before they moved to Russia, the Czech brothers received shelter in Saxony in the settlement of Gerngut. During this period of time their society has significantly expanded. New adherents joined them.
Гернгутеры согласились на переселение при provided that they will be given the opportunity to engage in missionary work. They wanted to bear the Word of God to all the suffering, to care for the sick, destitute and crippled. They chose the place of settlement themselves from many proposals. When the time came to call the settlement somehow, the brothers turned to the Bible. They read the words of the Lord, which he addressed to the prophet Elijah, sent to Sarepta Sidon. The Lord made it so that in the house of the widow, who had stopped the prophet, the flour was never depleted in the tub, and the oil from the jug did not decrease. This saved the woman and her son from starvation.
Probably, this is a wonderful coincidence, but our Sarepta (Volgograd) was famous for the production of vegetable oil and flour. Even today you can see on the shelves goods with the name "Sarepta".
Years passed, the colony flourished.Several plants appeared in it, gardens, vineyards, and melons were planted. Sarepta was considered one of the best resorts in Russia, it became famous for its mud baths and mineral springs. It seemed that the Lord himself protected the inhabitants of the settlement from epidemics and natural disasters. It was only missionary activity that was decreed by the tsar's decree several decades later. This was explained by the fact that the spread of the Gospel is a hindrance to trade and economic development.
Since that moment, life in Sarept has begun to fade.Most of the colonial gernuters left the settlement, and those who remained remained in the Lutheran community. Their descendants were destroyed or exiled to Kazakhstan and Siberia during the repressions of the 20th century.
В сентябре 1990 года Совет Министров РФ decided to create on this territory a huge open-air museum. At that time he occupied five hectares. The main objectives of its creation was the preservation of a unique historical model of urban development of the XVIII-XIX centuries. In addition, it was planned to revive traditional technologies and industries, national traditions of peoples, who had long inhabited this land. Today, Sarepta (Volgograd) is a museum that has become one of the leading research institutions in the country. He popularizes the cultural and historical heritage of Russia.
In the museum "Sarepta" (Volgograd) there are centersGerman, Russian, Ukrainian, Tatar, Byelorussian and Kalmyk peoples. Here, conditions for the preservation of the ethnic multiculturalism of this region, the development of interethnic communication and folk traditions have been created and are constantly being modernized.
With the active participation of local residents forrelatively a short time the museum became the owner of fine collections on ethnography, archeology and numismatics. The pride of the museum is the archive of photographs. His expositions present materials that highlight the peculiarities of the way of life and culture of German immigrants, Kalmyks and Russian peasants.
Today, the museum-reserve has become a majortourist, cultural, research and methodological center of Volgograd. Now it covers an area of more than 7 hectares. On its territory there are 26 buildings. And 23 of them are monuments of the XVIII-XIX centuries of federal significance. The museum "Sarepta" (Volgograd), photo of which you can see in our article, has qualified staff and high scientific potential, which allows to preserve, study and popularize the heritage of the peoples of the Volga region.
One of the main architectural objects of the Sareptais the church. It is located in the north of the central square of the village and separates the settlement from the cemetery, thus symbolizing the fine line dividing life and death.
Первый зал, предназначенный для молебнов, был consecrated Bishop Niichmann in 1766. However, a year later the church was transferred to another building, which was previously intended for the house of assembly. Later, an outbuilding with living quarters for the head of the colony and the pastor was attached to him.
Строительство новой кирхи было начато в 1771 г.on the means that the colony received as a gift from Catherine II. In addition, the donations of the brothers were used. The new building was consecrated in a year (1772).
An example for the church in Sarepta was the churchhall in Lichtenburg. The building is distinguished by an extremely ascetic architectural style. It fully corresponds to the canons of the "Gherngut baroque". Kirche was a rectangular two-story building with a gable roof and almost devoid of architectural decor. On the one hand an outbuilding was attached to it. There were apartments of the chairman of the colony and priests.
After the October Revolution of 1917divine services in the church lasted almost 20 years. But still in 1930 the Decree on its closure was issued. In fact, this happened in 1937. After the Second World War in the building, the cinema "Kultarmeets" was organized. During the rebuilding, the tower was demolished, the organ was dismantled, the bells were removed, and some window openings were laid. From the north side there was an extension, where the foyer of the cinema was located. In 1967, the cinema was closed, and a warehouse was located in the premises of the church.
Today, for many tourists comingin Volgograd, Sarepta is included in the mandatory tour list. They can see a significantly altered building of the church, which became part of the museum in 1991. Four years later (1995), the first solemn divine service was held here for many years.
Many unique historical monuments are famous for Volgograd. Sarepta occupies a worthy place among them. One of the main attractions of it is the organ that is installed in the church.
It was donated by the community of the town of Vechtersbach(Germany). Its pedals allow you to switch registers during the game. In the church there are always instrumental and organ concerts. Today it is the only organ in the region with live sound, without electronic effects.
On the territory of the museum you can see the symbolicsculpture of harmony and balance - Equilibrio. It is a gift to the hero-city from his sister Cologne. It was established in 2004 during the celebration of the days of German culture.
The work is executed in stone, author Rolf Schaffner -famous sculptor from Germany. This is part of the grandiose composition, consisting of five elements. They are installed in five European cities - Cologne (Germany), Cork (Ireland), Santia (Spain) Cronheim (Norway). Now the composition is in Volgograd.
On all tourists who come to Volgograd,Sarepta makes a great impression. And not only preserved historical monuments. The Museum-Reserve regularly conducts interregional scientific seminars, round tables, conferences, publishes its own scientific yearbook and the newspaper "Sarepta News".
