Rowno Parish History
The Parish of Rowno (1902)
Rowno became the third "Permanent Adjunct" of Zhitomir Parish in 1902 (Tutschin in 1888 and Nowograd-Wolynsk in 1889 having been the first two). It was taken out of Tutschin parish, and it occupied lands in the counties of Dubno, Ostrog, Kremenez, Rowno and Luzk. Although there were only ten Evangelical families in Rowno itself, Rowno County contributed 2248 parishioners, Dubno provided 3,67l, Ostrog 1,314, Luzk 200 and Kremenez 33. At its start, the parish contained 7466 "souls". The official status of "Parish" was granted by the Interior Ministry in 1907. Ernst Althausen, who had been pastor in Tutschin, became the first pastor in Rowno, which soon had a chapel and a manse. A chapel was built in Dubno in 1906; the first church in the parish was built in Karlswalde in 1907. Otherwise, the parish had only ten other chapels. A home for invalids was established in Rowno in 1904. By 1905 there were 10,000 parishioners.
When in 1907 the Peasants' Land Bank took over much rented land in Volhynia, forcing many German colonists to leave their farms, six villages in Rowno Parish lost their German colonists, most of whom left for the Baltic area, Posen, or America. After Pastor Althausen left "under special circumstances" in 1908, the parish had no pastor until 1915, during which time it was served by pastors from other parishes. After the exile during W.W. I, Pastor Torinus took charge for a short time, followed by another period lasting until 1927 when outside pastors served the parish. Pastors from Tutschin (Torinus, Rusnok and Krusche) cared for the northern part, while the southern section was served by pastors from Luzk Parish (Kleindienst?). Soon after the war, the damaged chapel in Rowno was repaired by the principal Elder, Emil Arndt, but only after a new pastor arrived on the scene in 1927 (Sikora) were more chapels built or renovated in Sophiewka and Michalowka (1928), Moczulki and Krasnopol (1930), Koraz and Perelysianka. The chapel in Rowno was transformed into a church in 1933.
In 1926 Dubno became an affiliate of Rowno and in 1936 became an independent parish.
Pastors in Rowno Parish
| 1902 – 1908 | Ernst ALTHAUSEN |
| 1918 – 1921 | Erhard TORINUS (aus Tutschin) |
| 1921 – 1924 | Georg RUSNOK |
| 1927 – 1939 | Paul SIKORA |
Evangelical Congregations in Rowno Parish
| Adamufka+ | Krasnopol | Radziwolow |
| Alexandrufka+? | Kurdiban | Redke Dubi+ |
| Alexandrufka+? (near Dumbrowka) | Kustarnaja (Fürstental) | Retschischtsche+~ |
| Anilufka (Anielowka)+ | Lelewy | Rowno~ |
| Debriza (Debryca)+ | Leontufka+ | Rudezka (Rudecka) |
| Dombrowka+ | Lessnaja (Fürstendorf) | Sachow |
| Dubno+~ | Lipno | Schtschastliwa |
| Fürstendorf (Lessnaja)+ (in Nowograd-Wolynsk Parish after 1921?) | Liptschisna (Lipszczyzna)+ | Selenaja+ |
| Fürstental (Kustarnaja)+ (in Nowograd-Wolynsk Parish after 1921?) | Malowana (Malewanka, Julin-Malewannaja)* | Shinufka+~ |
| Gontscharicha (Gonczarycha)+~ | Marianufka am Goryn+ | Slobodskie Gollendry (Karlswalde)* |
| Grüntal (Moisanowka)*+~ | Marianufka (near Periljanka) | Sophiewka (Zofjowka)*+~ |
| Henriette | Marianufka+~ (near Kopytkow) | Soshin |
| Horodniza (Horodnica)+~ | Matschulek*+ | Sosnowik |
| Iwanufka+ | Michalow+ | Stanislawufka |
| Jalomez | Plaschew (Plaszewo, Plaszowo, Johannestal)+ | Tomaschew+ |
| Jaminez | Michalowka (Michalufka) | Totowitsch+ |
| Janufka+ (near Pawlufka) | Moczulki | Tschornaja Losa+ |
| Julianufka | Moisanowka (Grüntal)* | Ugly+~ |
| Julin-Malewannaja (Malowana, Malewanka)*+ | Mytniza (Mytnica)*+ | Werben+ |
| Kadischtsch (Kadyszcze) | Nadeshda+ | Wischnewez |
| Kamennaja Werba+ | Nowina-Dobratinskaja (Nowiny Dobrazynskie)+ | Wladimirez |
| Karlswalde (Slobodskie Gollendry)*+ | Pendik (Piendyki) | Wladislawufka+~ |
| Kasimirufka+~ | Periljanka (Perelysianka)+ | Wygoda* |
| Koppan+ | Polike | Zirwischtsch |
| Koraz (Kuraz, Kurasz) | Radischtsch+~ | Zofjowka (Sophiewka)* |
| Zurkow-Nadeshda |
+ village with a school which was usually also used as a chapel (Betsaal)
~ village with a separate chapel (Kapelle or more commonly, Betshaus)
* villages where land was owned by the farmer (in contrast to those where it was leased from a nobleman)
Sources:
1. PINGOUD, G.: "Die evangelisch-lutherischen Gemeinden in Rußland", herausgegeben von der Unterstützungs-Kasse für Evangelisch-Lutherische Gemeinden in Rußland; Band 1: "Der St. Petersburgische und der Moskowische Konsistorialbezirk", St. Petersburg, 1909
2. KNEIFEL, Eduard: "Die evangelisch-augsburgischen Gemeinden in Polen 1555 - 1939", Selbstverlag des Verfassers, Vierkirchen 1971