13 June 2017

On This Day, 13 June 1765

Husaren, a Volga Catholic Mother colony, was founded on this day, 13 June 1765, next to the Ilovlya River across from the colony of Volmer (founded 18 July 1766).  It began with 14 households with a total of 39 colonists, 19 male and 20 female.  Within 20 years, it would grow to 222 households with a total of 1,510 colonists, 772 male and 738 female.


Location of Husaren, now known as Elshanka, Saratov, Russia. 



For more information, visit the following sites: 
Center for Volga German Studies - Husaren
Wolgadeutsche (History of the Volga Germans) - Husaren
Volga German Institute - Husaren


2017 marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of the Mother colonies along the Volga River. There are many events throughout the year to commemorate the anniversary, and the Germans from 
Russia Settlement Locations project joins in the celebration of this rich Volga German heritage.  

The German immigrants that came to the Volga region were among first colonists to take up Catherine the Great on her manifesto. They came from Hesse, the Rhineland, the Palatinate and Württemberg.  They are also among the most well researched and documented groups of German colonists in Russia. Thus far, the Volga Mother colonies settled between 1764 and 1767 are the only colonies that have precise dates they were settled.  

For more historical and current events related to Germans from Russia, see our calendar page or link to our public Google calendar.







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