What interesting things can be found in Dolynivka, near Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi?
And here is what - Ruins of the German church - the Lutheran church of German colonists.
A brief historical note about Dolynivka - Neu-Postal
In the 19th century, some land in the Odessa region was purchased by the landowner Demidov. He founded the village of Demydivka, located one kilometre from Dolynivka. He hospitably invited German settlers to revive and cultivate these lands. Every year, the number of dwellings grew.
Later, in 1864, German Gottfried Schulz bought the Poshtal land from Countess Kochubei and then resold it to 45 German peasants, who founded the settlement of Poshtal. From 1864 to 1940, this village became a true model — an exemplary German commune. The hard-working German community built a brick factory, founded a printing house and a club. In 1904, the residents built a beautiful and majestic Lutheran church!
The church in Novy Poshtal became one of the main spiritual centres for German colonists throughout the Akkerman district.
This church was led by Pastor Adolf Gerter, whose pastoral care extended to 16 religious communities in the district. The church had a choir that brought together the voices of women, men, and children. There was also a church-parish school in Novy Poshtal, where all the children of the district received their education. Before the arrival of Soviet power, Novy Poshtal's church united parishioners from neighbouring villages. The number of believers grew steadily.
Unfortunately, with the arrival of the Soviet occupation, dark times came for various religious communities. Novy Poshtal was not spared: the church was brutally looted and destroyed. After World War II, there was no trace left of the German settlers who had put so much effort into this land; they were either deported or brutally repressed. Only the ruins of the German church remind us of the people who loved and developed this region.
Ruins of the german church
As already reported, the church of German colonists was built in 1904. It is a three-level building in the Neo-Gothic style, designed as a three-nave basilica. It has distinctive pointed windows. The building was decorated with a massive mechanical clock. The church grounds were enclosed by a white stone fence, and the entrance was through a gate, from which stairs led to the temple.
Now the church building is in a state of disrepair, and we are witnessing its slow transformation into a total ruin. With the coming of Soviet regime, the upper tier of the bell tower and its sharp spire with a cross were destroyed. For several years now, the building has had no roof, no ceiling, no floor, and broken windows. There were plans to restore the Lutheran church as a historical monument even before Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. When I visited in 2017, the restoration had begun with the fence. As of 2019, the fence had been completed. Perhaps some other work had been done. I am publishing my photos from 2017; others can be found on Google. I did not see any new developments in the restoration of the church itself ☹.
We can see what the church looked like at the beginning of the 20th century in the old photograph below. To the left of the church were a hospital and a school.
Photo and text by Landmarks.in.ua
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