Old Sarepta

Old Sarepta is an architectural ensemble from the second half of the 18th and the 19th century in the south of Volgograd, in the Krasnoarmeysky district. It is all that remains of the German colony of Sarepta, the only Russian settlement of the Herrnhut Brotherly Union, also known as the Moravian Brothers. Today a museum reserve works on the site.

History

The settlement on the bank of the Volga was founded on 14 September 1765 by the will of Empress Catherine II. Missionaries from the Saxon town of Herrnhut arrived here under the leadership of the community's elder, Daniel Fick; the purpose of the move was to preach the Gospel among the nomadic peoples of the Lower Volga region. The colony quickly grew into a notable center of trade and crafts for this part of the country. In 1807 the first mustard processing plant in Russia was built in Sarepta. In 1843 potatoes were grown here on an industrial scale for the first time; this episode in Sarepta is considered the starting point of potato cultivation in Russia. In 1931 the settlement became part of Stalingrad, later renamed Volgograd.

What to see

The museum reserve has preserved 26 buildings of the 18th and 19th centuries, all architectural monuments. Among them is a working Lutheran kirche built in 1772, the colony's Church Square, an old pharmacy, a trading shop and a wine cellar from the late 18th century. One of the buildings houses the only Mustard Museum in Russia, dedicated to the craft that once made the colony famous throughout the empire. A children's center called "Dom Glich" is open on the grounds for young visitors.

Legends

Several local legends are connected with the Herrnhut colony. According to one of them, underground passages of uncertain purpose are hidden beneath the old buildings. Another story claims that marriages in the community were decided not by the choice of the bride and groom but by drawing lots, supposedly as part of the colony's religious order.

How to get there

The nearest landmark is the Sarepta railway station, reachable by a suburban train. From the station it is about 3.4 kilometers to the museum reserve; this distance can be covered by bus, minibus or tram, getting off at the "Geroev Stalingradskoy bitvy" stop.