trimaran libertist 703

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Libertist 703, the hydrofoil cruising trimaran for coastal cruising

Libertist Yachts builds foiling trimarans for the yachting world. These designs signed Erik Lerouge are powerful, but well intended for family cruising. After the 853, the shipyard is preparing to launch the 703.

The first foil trimaran for pleasure craft

In 2017, Polish builder Libertist Yachts presented the Libertist 853, an 8.53-meter cruising trimaran equipped with foils, signed Erik Lerouge. While the idea is to create a range of foiling "tris" for the general public, the goal is nevertheless to offer cruising boats.

"The foils are deliberately short so as not to fly, but they relieve the drag effect. The boat starts to take off from 3 or 4 knots of wind. It also allows to sail flat to have always the leeward float out of the water and therefore not to sink" explains Alain Margerie, importer for France and Southern Europe.

Before adding: "The Libertists take a bit of the philosophy of racing boats, but without flying. We could do it, but it would require having a person on board dedicated to the adjustments. But these are family boats. With this fixed foil system, there is no need for trimming."

Lightweight construction

Built in the Gdansk region of Poland, the trimarans are made of vinylester infusion sandwich (and optionally epoxy ). The arms and appendages are made of carbon, as are some of the interior bulkheads, to make the platform as rigid as possible. The carbon mast is rotatable and three choices of sail materials are offered:

• Mylar as standard,

The boats are equipped with a mainsail with horn, a self-tacking jib with snap hook (or optional furler), a gennaker and a spinnaker .

A range of six models

Today, the range consists of 6 models - the 603, 703, 853, 1003 and 1203. "3 for three hulls. In line with this, we will also have a range of catamarans - the plans for which are already in the cards - and a range of monohulls, all designed by Erik Lerouge." explains Alain Margerie.

The 703, next model to be released

Today, two 7m trimarans are under construction, the construction site having been delayed by the confinement. This model is a dayboat designed for coastal cruising, even if it offers a nice headroom of 1.70 m. There is a double berth at the front, two side benches and a kitchen block on the port side between the centerboard.

"There is a water supply on board and we can install chemical toilets. We can also install tents on the trampolines for coastal hiking." adds the importer.

Thanks to their lightweight construction, speed is at a premium. So, with an empty weight of 780 kg for the 703, the importer estimates a speed of 15 to 20 knots "easy."

One of the other advantages of the Libertist is that it is able to beach. Indeed, the foils do not go deeper than the central hull. Thus, during the ebb tide , the trimaran will remain supported on its central hull and its two foils.

Foldable and transportable

With the "Swing Wing" system, the Libertist's floats fold back to the stern, which saves a lot of space in the harbor. On the 703, the beam is reduced from 5.50 m to 2.80 m. The latter can also be transported by road, reducing its width to 2.50 m. Dismasting is easy, and the mast can be attached to the boat during transport.

The 703 will be sold at a price of 67,000 euros without trailer. Count about 90 000 euros TTC for an optional boat, with trailer and complete equipment.

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Trimaran 703 cruising fiberglass carbon

Characteristics

6.99 m (22'11" )

2.44 m, 5.95 m (8'00" , 19'06" )

0.38 m, 1.16 m (1'02" , 3'09" )

64 m² (689 ft²)

4 kW (5.4 hp)

Description

Other libertist products.

• Open sailboat
• Cruising sailboat
• Sailboat with bowsprit
• Trailerable sailboat
• Fiberglass sailboat
• Carbon sailboat
• Folding arms sailboat

Libertist 703 In Production

by Small Tri Guy | Aug 4, 2020 | Production/Commercial Small Trimarans , Small Tri Info - All , Trimaran Design, Rigging, Construction Info/Links | 3 comments

We first posted about Libertist trimarans here . One of our readers just emailed and said the Libertist 703 has now followed the larger 853 model into production.

This boat appears to combine some unique features. We’re looking forward to seeing a video of it under sail.

A couple renderings follow, which are linked to at their locations at the Libertist website:

Erik, the sailor who let me know the 703 is now in production, just emailed, “You might be interested in this list, comparing cabin trimarans 7-10 metres of length: https://www.segling.info/oversyn “

i could not get the link working. any suggestions? [email protected]

The original page I linked to changed to another one. The new link to the 703 model is working again (at the time of my comment here).

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LIBERTIST 853

8,5 Meter Cruiser-Racer Trimaran, Opening Your Way to Navigate the Seas.

The 853 – depending on her equipment version – can act as a racing trimaran, or as a large family vessel for longer journeys with 4 to 6 persons. No matter which function you choose, it will bring you exceptional sailing satisfaction.

The 853 has been designed by the legendary Erik Lerouge, who has created a real masterpiece of the cruiser-racer class. This trimaran is extremely light – it only weighs 1400 kg. We have equipped it, among other features, with hydrofoils, a carbon rotating wing mast and cutting-edge electronics by NKE.

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Libertist 703

C’est un fait : les trimarans Libertist sont rouge vif et font tourner les têtes sur leur passage. Le design du génial architecte Erik Lerouge, associé à la fameuse teinte fétiche de la plus célèbre des marques d’automobiles italiennes, fait mouche et suggère une belle sportivité. Nous avons pu naviguer à bord du tout nouveau 703, à peine mis à l’eau…

Lieu de l’essai : La Rochelle Conditions : vent de 4 à 5 noeuds, mer plate

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• Disponible dans le numéro 210

Prix de l'essai 5.00 €

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et bénéficiez d'une réduction !

Après l’arrivée remarquée du 853 à l’International Multihull Show de La Grande Motte en 2019 (essai dans MM196), il aura fallu près de deux ans et demi pour découvrir son petit frère, le très attendu Libertist 703. Sur les pontons rochelais cette fois, la forte personnalité et le look ravageur du petit trimaran font mouche ; le 703 rappelle, toutes proportions gardées, les grands Ocean Fifty. Avec son pont flush-deck qui favorise l’aérodynamisme, la coque centrale a même des airs de SVR-Lazartigue, le nouvel Ultim de François Gabart. Il n’en faut pas plus pour que la rédaction de Multicoques Mag s’emballe : non, décidément, nous ne pouvions vraiment pas manquer l’opportunité d’être les premiers à l’essayer… car il est parfois des situations où l’enthousiasme l’emporte sur la raison, la passion sur la patience, la détermination des acteurs sur la prudence des essayeurs.

Un aménagement prometteur

Notre précipitation a tout de même un prix : nous ne pourrons juger dans cet essai de l’intérieur du Libertist 703. Brut de démoulage, celui-ci nécessite un retour dans les ateliers de fabrication polonais d...

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• Erik Lerouge , 

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Category : Trimaran Libertist 703

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Libertist 703, le trimaran de croisière à foils pour la croisière côtière

Libertist Yachts fabrique des trimarans à foil pour le monde de la plaisance. Ces plans signés Erik Lerouge sont puissants, mais bien destinés à la croisière en famille. Après le 853, le chantier s'apprête à mettre à l'eau le 703.

Le premier trimaran à foil de plaisance

En 2017, le constructeur polonais Libertist Yachts présentait le Libertist 853, un trimaran de croisière de 8,53 m équipé de foils, signé Erik Lerouge. Si l'idée est de créer une gamme de "tris" à foils pour le grand public, l'objectif est néanmoins de proposer des bateaux de croisière.

"Les foils sont volontairement courts pour ne pas voler, mais soulagent l'effet de traine Le bateau commence à décoller dès 3 ou 4 nœuds de vent. Cela permet aussi de naviguer à plat d'avoir toujours le flotteur sous le vent hors de l'eau et donc de ne pas enfourner" nous explique Alain Margerie, importateur France et sud de l'Europe.

Avant d'ajouter : "Les Libertist reprennent un peu la philosophie des bateaux de course, mais sans voler. On pourrait le faire, mais ça demanderait d'avoir une personne à bord dédiée aux réglages. Or ce sont des bateaux familiaux. Avec ce système de foils fixe, il n'y a pas besoin de réglages."

Une construction légère

Construits dans la région de Gdansk, en Pologne, les trimarans sont fabriqués en sandwich infusion de vinylester (et en option en époxy). Les bras et les appendices sont en carbone, tout comme certaines cloisons intérieures, pour rigidifier la plateforme au maximum. Le mât en carbone est rotatif et trois choix de matériaux de voile sont proposés :

• Mylar en standard,

Les bateaux sont équipés d'une grand-voile à corne, d'un foc autovireur arisable sur mousqueton (ou en option sur enrouleur), d'un gennaker et d'un spi.

Une gamme de six modèles

Aujourd'hui, la gamme est composée de 6 modèles — le 603, le 703, le 853, 1003 et le 1203. "3 pour trois coques. Dans la lignée, nous aurons également une gamme de catamarans — dont les plans sont déjà dans les cartons — et une gamme de monocoques, tous dessinés par Erik Lerouge" nous explique Alain Margerie.

Le 703, prochain modèle à voir le jour

Aujourd'hui deux trimarans de 7 m sont en construction, le chantier ayant pris du retard avec le confinement. Ce modèle est un dayboat destiné à la croisière côtière , même s'il offre une belle hauteur sous-barrot de 1,70 m. On y trouve un couchage double à l'avant, deux banquettes latérales et un bloc-cuisine à bâbord entre la dérive centrale.

"Il a y a une réserve d'eau à bord et on peut installer des w.c. chimiques. On peut également installer des tentes sur les trampolines pour la randonnée côtière" ajoute l'importateur.

Grâce à leur construction légère, la vitesse est au rendez-vous. Ainsi, avec un poids à vide de 780 kg pour le 703, l'importateur estime une vitesse de 15 à 20 nœuds "facile."

Un des autres avantages des Libertist c'est qu'ils sont capables de beacher. En effet, les foils ne descendent pas plus profondément qu'au niveau de la coque centrale. Ainsi, lors de la marée descendante, le trimaran restera appuyé sur sa coque centrale et ses deux foils.

Repliable et transportable

Avec le système "Swing Wing", les flotteurs des Libertist se replient sur l'arrière, un gain de place appréciable au port. Sur le 703, on passe d'un maitre-bau de 5,50 m à 2,80 m. Ce dernier est également transportable au gabarit routier, passant à une largeur de 2,50 m. Le démâtage est facile, et le mât à attacher sur le bateau lors du transport.

Le 703 sera vendu au tarif TTC de 67 000 € sans remorque. Comptez environ 90 000 € TTC pour un bateau optionné, avec remorque et aménagement complet.

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Libertist 853

It might seem that there’s no longer a market for fixed-arm trimarans... but Neel has demonstrated the opposite with large cruising boats. In the 7-12m (23-40’) market, the Libertist's ambition is to confirm this success. Bearing the signature of Erik Lerouge, the Polish shipyard Rega Yachts still offers this series of trimarans in a folding version. A formula that allows it to enter a small but active market, mainly occupied by Dragonfly, Corsair and Tricat. We tried the fixed-arm version of the 853, following the International Multihull Boat Show.

Practical info

• Finance your Libertist 853
• Articles about the Libertist 853
• Available in issue # 167

Boat Test price 5.00 € Inc. tax

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Big potential for performance

This muscled-up trimaran left no-one indifferent on the pontoons at La Grande Motte 2019: the Libertist is beautiful! The design of the arms is a success. Their harmonious shape, as well as the impeccable surface finish of the composite, contribute to the immediate seduction. The assembly principle is intelligent: the arms are embedded in a deck space and firmly bolted, as are their connections with the floats. The latter have a large volume associated with fine-entry bows. There are also two small fixed carbon foils. The central hull is a real exercise in style: the lines spin magnificently; the proportions are skillful and the bow (straight) doesn’t give in to any passing fads. The lively, tense works reflect the potential for performance, but the ergonomics of the deck, arms and trampolines are pleasant and compatible with family cruising. The cockpit is comfortable and safe. 

Surprising interior volume

When newcomers go aboard this 28-foot-long sports trimaran, they are amazed by her remarkable interior volume. The headroom is surprising and the two long seats facing each other are really comfortable and friendly. Daylight is diffused thro...

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Libertist 703

7 Meter Cruiser-Racer Trimaran, Perfect for Inland and Coastal Water Sailing.

The 703 can serve as a safe vessel for amateur racing, as well as a comfortable boat for a several-day trips for a maximum of 4 persons.

You can effortlessly dock her in a monohull marina berth. She’s extremely mobile – you can transport it on a trailer without disassembling her floats or you can choose to dismantle the floats and transport the boat in a dedicated container.

The 703 model has been designed by Erik Lerouge . It is quite light for her volume – it only weighs 1000 kg. They have equipped it, among other features, with hydrofoils, a carbon rotating mast and cutting-edge electronics.

Pauger Carbon was approached by Libertist team to prepare the complete carbon package, which includes:

• High strength regular modulus weight 38kg (220 x 100 mm);
• Mast full length: 11200 mm;
• High-strength regular carbon fiber pre-preg boom (155 x 86mm) – 3550 mm length – 7 kg;
• Light-weight Pauger Carbon Vang;
• Dyform diamond rigging 6mm with BSI, BlueWave – Pauger system.
• Dyform forestay, dyneema upper and lower shroud (With loops at both ends, without purchase system)

Further info: Libertist 703

Orenburg Mennonite Settlement (Orenburg Oblast, Russia)

• 1.1 Introduction
• 1.2 Beginning of the Settlement
• 1.3 Administration, Education, Health
• 1.4 World War I and After
• 2 1990 Update
• 3 Bibliography
• 4 Cite This Article

1959 Article

Introduction.

The province of Orenburg, its capital having the same name, is located on the Ural River in Eastern European Soviet Russia . The region had an area of 47,787 square miles and a population of 1,677,013 after World War II (124,000 square kilometers and a population of 2,179,551 in 2002). The city of Orenburg (renamed Chkalov between 1938 and 1957), established in 1735, is located on the railroad from Samara (Kuibyshev) to Tashkent ; its population was 172,925 after World War II (approx. 548,800 in 2002). The population of the province consists of Russians, Bashkirs, Tatars, and many minority groups including Germans. The capital of Orenburg is a significant trading center between Asiatic and European Russia.

Beginning of the Settlement

In 1892-93 the Mennonites of the Chortitza Mennonite Settlement in the Ukraine sent a commission to the Deyev, landowning Russians, in the province of Orenburg, who had offered some land for sale. Since the commission made the visit during the winter they did not even see the land, which was located some 35-45 miles from the railroad station and about 50 miles from the city of Orenburg. The price per acre was 9 rubles. The land purchased amounted to 67,500 acres, to which 2,700 acres were added later. The purchase was made by the Chortitza Mennonite volost (administration) and the land was distributed among the landless Mennonites of the Chortitza Mennonite Settlement . Each farmer was to have not less than 110 acres and was to be exempt from payment on the land and taxes for two years. One of the Chortitza villages gave each of its families 200 rubles additional aid. The first settlers were already organized into five villages before leaving. They left on four trains from the station of Alexandrovsk (now Zaporizhia ).

The Orenburg settlement is located on the Tchuran, Uran, and Gusicha rivers. At least 25 villages were established. Karl Fast reports that there were 28 before World War II. In 1894-1897 Chortitza, Petrovka, Kantserovka, Kamenka , Deyevka , Nikolayevka, Romanovka, and Feodorovka were established. Starting in 1900 the following additional villages were established: Pretoria, Suvorovka, Dolinovka, Rodnichnoye, Dobrovka , and Kitchkas. All of these were founded by settlers from the Chortitza settlement.

Starting in 1895 the Molotschna Mennonite settlement established the following villages adjacent to the Chortitza Mennonite villages: Kubanka, Klubnikovo , Stepanovka, Aliessovo , Karaguy , Kameshevoye, Chernozernoye, Zelenoye. Additional villages were Zabangul, Lyubimovka, and Pogornoye.

The Orenburg settlement never received an "official" name. Sometimes it was known as the Deyevka Mennonite Settlement and sometimes the Orenburg Mennonite Settlement. After 1917 the settlement was known as Uran Volost.

The first years of the settlement were very difficult. Many of the settlers returned to their mother settlements. Their reports did not raise the reputation of the new settlement. Poverty, long winters, poor soil, remote markets, theft by the surrounding nomadic population, and other factors made the beginning extremely difficult. Crop failures were frequent, but the mother settlement was unable or unwilling to make the necessary loans to give the settlement a good start. The cycle of crop failures was as follows: 1901, 1906, 1911, 1916, and 1921. The worst of all was 1906, when the mother and sister settlements helped by collecting food, clothing, and money for the settlers. Feed for the livestock had to be bought in the vicinity.

In 1907-1908 many of the Orenburg Mennonite settlers joined the Mennonites from the Ukraine in establishing the Slavgorod and Pavlodar settlements in Siberia. Some of the land of those who left the Orenburg settlement was distributed among those who remained.

Gradually the economic life of the settlement became more normal. A number of minor industries were established. About five mills powered by wind and water were operated to grind the necessary flour. One of the better-known water-powered mills was operated by Jacob A. Eckert. The necessary food oil was produced in the mill operated by Johann J. Löwen. In the carpenter and smith shops the necessary furniture and tools were made and repaired. Implement and machinery stores were operated by Jacob Bergen of Klubnikovo and others. Other business enterprises were set up in the villages of Pretoria, Klubnikovo, Dobrovka, and Deyevka. After the Revolution co-operative stores were introduced.

Administration, Education, Health

The administration of the Settlement was the traditional one. Each village had a Schulze , and the Chortitza and Molotschna settlements each had an Oberschulze or Vorsteher. The Chortitza administration was responsible to the Bashkir volost in Akhmerovo, and the Molotschna villages to the Russian Abramov volost. At first the position of the Oberschulze was somewhat unique. He was not only a servant to the villages, but also to the mother settlement in the Ukraine , whose interests he had to represent since the settlement was sponsored by the Chortitza and Molotschna settlements. Later the Orenburg Settlement became more independent. Among the officeholders of the Chortitza villages at Orenburg were Dietrich Lepp, Joseph Friesen, David Froese, Anton Günther, and Isaak Penner. In 1913 under Isaak Penner the Chortitza villages received title of land ownership and thus became independent of the Chortitza Settlement. The officeholders of the Molotschna villages were Bernhard Matthies 1895-99, Abram Fast 1899-1907, and Johann Spenst 1907-17.

After the Revolution the 25 Mennonite villages were organized into an independent volost with its seat in the village of Kitchkas. H. H. Löwen became the secretary and Jacob W. Pries the Oberschulze. The volost was subdivided into smaller districts.

During and after the Russian Revolution of 1917 the Settlement underwent the same changes as other communities. In the immediate vicinity of the settlement the Bashkir and Kirghiz republics were created, the boundary between the two cutting across the Mennonite settlement. Both republics claimed the Mennonite settlement within their boundaries. The controversy between them was settled when the Bashkirs occupied the Mennonite settlement and took it over. The Mennonites were constantly open to exploitation under this arrangement until they were transferred to the Kirghiz Republic. Later developments have been the same as in the rest of Russia .

Other public activities of the settlement were the customary fire insurance, with separate divisions for the Chortitza and Molotschna villages, as well as the Waisenamt (i.e. orphanage office). Medical care was primitive in the early days. The usual midwives and bonesetters ( Knochenarzt ) took care of the basic needs. Among the midwives were Mrs. Jacob Giesbrecht and Mrs. Cornelius Kehler. Johann Braun, who settled in Orenburg in 1902, had some training and experience in the care for the sick and became known as "Dr. Braun." He did much to relieve suffering in the settlements. For a while he was assisted by Dr. Michel from St. Petersburg. After Braun's death in 1911 a Pole by the name of Yunovitch practiced medicine until the outbreak of World War I (1914). In 1922 Dr. Rudolph A. Klassen, under the sponsorship of American Mennonite Relief , served the community until he immigrated to Canada. He was succeeded by Dr. Lassmann. In 1925 the Soviet government opened a hospital in the Mennonite village of Rodnichnoye with Dr. Shostakov in charge.

The settlers established an elementary school in each village. Some of the teachers, e.g., Isaak G. Krahn , David H. Löwen, and Johann B. Mathies, had received a normal teacher's training. The annual salary of a teacher in the early days was 350-650 rubles. Some of the young boys went to the mother settlements for secondary school training. In 1919 twelve of the elementary schools had two rooms.

In 1907 a Zentralschule was established at Pretoria, a secondary school which helped to raise the educational and cultural level of the settlement. One of the outstanding leaders of the school board was P. P. Dyck. Among the teachers of this school were R. A. Riesen, Franz, F. Lehn, Dietrich J. Gossen, P. P. Sawatzky, Fr. F. Froese, P. P. Dyck, D. H. Loewen, D. H. Koslowsky, and F. F. Klassen. In 1918 and 1920 respectively the settlement established additional secondary schools in Deyevka and Klubnikovo . By 1925-26 all the schools were taken over by the Soviet government and administered according to the Marxian philosophy, which is vividly described by Karl Fast.

In 1923 a Bible school was established in Orenburg by an organization of 61 members. Isaak J. Töws was the chairman, Peter Paethkau secretary, and Gerhard Braun treasurer. Jakob Rogalsky was the first teacher and the instruction was given in the home of G. Derksen in Karaguy . During the second year the school had 47 pupils and Jakob Rempel and Peter Koehn were added as teachers. The instruction was given in the home of David Rempel of Kantserovka. During the third year (1925-26) 67 pupils attended the school and the instruction was given in the Mennonite Brethren Church of Kamenka . The pupils came from various other settlements besides Orenburg. The government closed the school in 1927.

World War I and After

During World War I many of the men were drafted for forestry service and hospital work. In many instances the women had to do the work in the home as well as on the farm. In 1915 some six thousand German nationals were interned in the Mennonite and surrounding villages. The novel Das sibirische Tor by Hans Harder deals at length with this incident. After the war most of them returned to Germany . Only a few Mennonite girls married German nationals and went along to Germany .

During and after the Revolution the Orenburg Mennonites suffered severely, although not as much as some of the Mennonites of the Ukraine . Requisitions of property, grain, horses, etc., were common. In 1921 the Settlement experienced a crop failure and starvation set in. In some of the surrounding villages a large percentage of the population perished. The Mennonites organized a relief committee to collect food for distribution among the starving. An attempt was made to take clothing to Siberia in return for food, but it failed. Some help came in 1921 when the American Mennonite Relief reached Orenburg. D. R. Höppner reached Orenburg in March 1922 and supervised the distribution of relief until August 1924. Some fifteen carloads of food supplies were distributed, not only among Mennonites. In addition to this much was done to improve health conditions among the settlers. American clothing was distributed in 1923-24. American Mennonite Relief also established a tractor service to boost agriculture. Thus the crisis of 1921-22 was gradually overcome.

A great problem for the settlement during the Revolution and the years of civil war was the attacks made by the surrounding nomadic population. Some of the young Mennonites organized a Selbstschutz to defend their lives and property, although this action was officially condemned by the churches.

In the early days of the Soviets the Mennonites of Orenburg were permitted to do alternative service, supported by the settlement. In 1920-22 they worked on a large nearby estate. Later exemption from military service became impossible.

After the Revolution, during the NEP period, the Orenburg Mennonite settlement revived its economic and religious life (as is recorded in the pages of Unser Blatt and Der Praktische Landwirt ). The results of the crop failures of 1921-22 and the following years were gradually overcome. In 1925 a co-operative was founded to raise the quality of the seed and livestock of the settlement. The co-operatives, which proved to be a success, established tractor stations, dairying, etc. From 1 January to 1 September, 36 tons of cheese were produced. Great progress was made in agriculture as well as in the cultural and religious activities of the communities. The total population of the Orenburg Mennonite settlement was 5,767 on 1 February 1926. In 1913 the congregations were centered in Deyevka (since 1899) with 1,103 members and 1,615 minor children, in Klubnikovka with 594 souls, and in Karaguy with 286 souls. The last two belonged to the Mennonite Brethren .

During the NEP period the elders of the Mennonite Church and the Mennonite Brethren Church, Heinrich Rempel and Kornelius Vehr, died and were succeeded by Isaak Krahn and David Janz. The relationship between the two churches improved. One writer states, "As never before the children of God are striving toward unity." Bible studies and song festivals were jointly conducted. Plans were under way to construct one large church for use by both groups. Soon the great change came and religious activities were suppressed and survived only in the hearts of individual believers. Rigid collectivization set in.

Some 300 persons migrated to Canada in 1926 under the leadership of Peter P. Dyck. On 9 September 1926 the group left Orenburg in nine freight cars, arrived at Moscow on 15 September, and at Riga on 18 September, and proceeded to Canada.

When the NEP period came to a close in 1928-29 and the new collectivization program was inaugurated many regretted that they had not left Russia. Among the thousands of refugees reaching Moscow in the fall of 1929 there were many from Orenburg. Most of them, however, were returned; some reached Paraguay and Brazil . Many of those remaining in Russia were exiled. Walter Quiring lists nineteen leading settlers, teachers, and ministers who were exiled at this time.

When the German army invaded Russia, the Orenburg Settlement, unlike most of the other Mennonite settlements of European Russia, was not evacuated. This, however, did not mean that the Settlement did not suffer. The exploitation of the settlers during the dark years of the Revolution continued. Again in 1951 the region of the Orenburg Settlement experienced a drought. All religious services were forbidden. In 1951 a letter says, "Religious funeral services cannot be conducted but we are permitted to sing. Nothing is offered to the children" (by way of spiritual life) ( Mennonitische Rundschau , (30 July 1952): 5, 16).

Conditions changed considerably in 1955. Reports reached relatives in America about conversions, religious revivals, and worship services. Not only did the surviving ministers start to preach, but also many of the converted but unordained young men began to conduct meetings and preach. Worship services and Bible study was conducted in the homes and barns of the various villages. It even became permissible to teach some German in the elementary schools. Baptismal services were held. One report stated that 98 persons from eight villages were baptized at one time in the village of Petrovka. Numerous ministers were ordained. The writers were enthusiastic about the privilege of worshiping again.

A letter published in Der Bote (4 January 1956: 7) reported that a group met regularly for worship services and that the congregation was growing. Abram Dyck was the leading minister. Another letter published in the Mennonitische Rundschau (1 February 1956: 6) reported that a group met regularly for worship in the home of Heinrich Unruh at Kubanka and that David Günter was the minister. During the mid-1950s none of the former meetinghouses had been reopened for worship services. In Romanovka the former schoolhouse became a clubhouse and the church was converted into a schoolhouse.

The economic life changed and improved considerably after World War II . All farming was done on a collective basis. One of the letters of 1955 reported that women did not need to work outdoors during the winter. An old couple by the name of Peter Braun was supported by the collective. A letter published in Der Bote (12 October 1956: 8) stated that three men had married Russian women, that they had enough food and clothing, and that they had just received electric lights and radios. The correspondence showed that the young men were drafted into the Russian army. There were no indications that this was not taken for granted. -- Cornelius Krahn

1990 Update

The Mennonites of the Orenburg (Kitchkass) and the old Neu Samara ( Pleshanov ) settlements were not dislodged and permanently relocated as had been the case with most other Mennonites who lived west of the Volga River before World War II. All the farming communities had been collectivized, of course, and sovietization was carried forward in other aspects of community life as well. The churches were all closed in the Stalin era, and the majority of adults and young people had to join the Trud Armia (labor army) during the war.

The repressions of the late 1940s and early 1950s gave way temporarily to a period of recovery and reconstruction after the death of Stalin in 1953. The end of the special regime ( Spetskomandantura ) restrictions for all Germans came two years later. Most of those who left the Orenburg communities during the preceding decade, if they had survived, were able to return to their home villages in this region.

Revivals, which had begun here as early as the late 1940s, were renewed about this time when the arrested church leaders were released. Small groups were able to meet for worship and fellowship once more. There were, however, more arrests in 1958-62. In 1965 those from the Pleshanov region of the former Neu Samara settlements were freed and church life could be organized here once again.

In April 1972, the Donskoi congregation requested registration, but was not granted the privilege until four years later. Construction of a house of worship began immediately, and in the ensuing years this group had become the largest congregation of the area. Daniel Janzen was the Ältester for most of this period. The congregation numbered about 400 members in 1987.

Among the dozen or more older Mennonite villages of this area there were now registered Mennonite Brethren congregations not only in Donskoi, but also in Podolsk and Ischalka, with unregistered groups active in Klinok, Kahan, Kuterlja, Krassikova, Lugovsk , and Totz Koe. The total Mennonite Brethren membership of this area was around 1,000 baptized members in 1987. Some Kirchliche Mennonites lived in these villages also.

Most of the Kirchliche Mennonite congregations in the Orenburg settlements were located in villages once established by Chortitza families from Ukraine . The Ältester of the total body, Diedrich Thiessen, led his own registered congregation at Kitchkass (No. 12) until his emigration to West Germany. This group had about 100 members. Registered congregations were also found in the villages of Chortitza (No. 1), Petrovka (No. 2), Kanzerovka (No. 3), Zhdanovka (earlier Deyevka ) (No. 5), Nikolaevka (No. 6), Fejodorovka (No. 7), Sol-Iletzk (south of Orenburg), and Stepanovka. Unregistered congregations were active in Dolinovka and Pretoria. Seven of these congregations had their own church buildings, and the total membership was around 700 (1987).

A dozen or more Mennonite Brethren congregations were located in these villages also. At least eight of them built new meetinghouses during the 1970s and 1980s. Each congregation had its own Ältester , and the total membership was more than 1,500. Groups were registered in the following locations: Chortitza, Petrovka, Kanzerovka, Kamenka, Zhdanovka, Fejodorovka, Suvorovka, Pretoria, Kubanka, Stepanovka, lisovo, and Susanovo. Hundreds of former Mennonites found their way into nearby Baptist congregations, notably those in the city of Orenburg itself.

During most of the 1980s emigration had not affected the Orenburg communities as it had the Mennonites of western Siberia and Soviet Central Asia , e.g., Kazakhstan and Kirgizia. The whole area was opened to tourists and other travelers, so that east-west exchanges increased significantly during the late 1980s. However, during the late 1980s and the 1990s, the majority of the Mennonite inhabitants of the Settlement immigrated to Germany. -- Lawrence Klippenstein

Bibliography

Der Bote : 10 February, 7 April, 12 May, 1954; 17 August, 21 September, 12 October, 1955; 4 January, 11 January, 18 January, 22 February, 25 April, 2 May, 1956; 23 January, 1957.

Brucks, J. H. and H. Hooge. Neu Samara am Tock. Clearbrook, BC, 1964.

Courier 2, no. 1 (1987): 1-3.

Derksen, Wilma. Mennonite Reporter (11 November 1985): 2.

Dyck, Peter P. Orenburg am Ural . Yarrow, 1951; 2nd ed. Meckenheim, Germany: Warlich-Druck und Verlagsgeselschaft, m.b.H., 1993.

Ehrt, Adolf. Das Mennonitentum in Russland . Berlin, 1932.

Fast, Karl. Gebt der Wahrheit die Ehre . North Kildonan, 1950.

Fast, Karl. Orenburg: die letzte mennonitische Ansiedlung in Osteuropa . Winnipeg: Das Bunte Fenster, 1995.

Hamm, Abram and Maria Hamm. Die Wege des Herrn sind lauter Gate. Gummersbach: Verlag Friedensstimme, 1985.

Harder, Hans. Das sibirische Tor . Stuttgart, 1938.

Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon , 4 vols. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. III, 308.

Hiebert, P. C. and Orie O. Miller. Feeding the Hungry . Scottdale, 1929: 353 ff.

Hildebrand, Olga. "Die Orenburger Ansiedlung, 1920-1970." Der Bote (8 January 1986): 5, 8.

Klippenstein, Lawrence. "An Unforgotten Past: Recent Writings by Soviet Emigre Baptists." Religion in Communist Lands, 14, no. 1 (Spring 1986): 17-32.

Mennonitische Rundschau : 9 June, 1948; 18 January, 1950; 18 April, 1951; 6 February, 30 July, 6 August, 1952; 14 April, 12 May, 4 August, 15 September, 29 September, 15 October, 1954; 15 April, 27 April, 18 May, 22 June, 27 July, 10 August, 27 August, 24 August, 12 October, 23 November, 7 December, 1955; 1 February, 7 March, 11 April, 18 April, 30 May, 18 July, 8 August, 24 October, 1956; 9 January, 30 January, 1957.

Der Praktische Landwirt (Moscow, 1926): No. 1, p. 10 ff.; No. 10-11, p. 14.

Redekop, David E. "Gemeindeleben in Russland 1985." Mennonitische Rundschau (27 November 1985): 18-22.

Rempel, J. Der Sowjet Hölle entronnen . Kassel, 1935).

Sawatsky, Walter. "Mennonite Congregations in the Soviet Union Today." Mennonite Life 33 (March 1978): 12-26.

Unser Blatt I (1925): 44; II (1926): 23; III (1927): 91 and 146.

Cite This Article

Krahn, Cornelius and Lawrence Klippenstein. "Orenburg Mennonite Settlement (Orenburg Oblast, Russia)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online . 1989. Web. 22 Sep 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Orenburg_Mennonite_Settlement_(Orenburg_Oblast,_Russia)&oldid=145968 .

Krahn, Cornelius and Lawrence Klippenstein. (1989). Orenburg Mennonite Settlement (Orenburg Oblast, Russia). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online . Retrieved 22 September 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Orenburg_Mennonite_Settlement_(Orenburg_Oblast,_Russia)&oldid=145968 .

Adapted by permission of Herald Press , Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia , Vol. 4, pp. 75-79; vol. 5, pp. 664-665. All rights reserved.

©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.

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