Zhitomir Parish History
The Parish of Zhitomir (1801)
Although a Lutheran Church was established in Koretz (Korist) in 1783 by Prince Czartoryski, it was Zhitomir that became the seat of a parish for Volhynia in 1801. In that year Alexander I decreed that Volhynia should have a Lutheran pastor there who would receive an annual government stipend of 400 Rubles. It was a parish of about 33,000 square miles.
Worshippers met in homes and rented buildings in Zhitomir until a chapel and manse were built in 1854. A stone church was not built until 1896. The pastor served all the new German colonies in Volhynia as they developed.
Annette and Josephine were first, in 1816, and later, after the 1831 uprising in Poland, colonies arose in the counties of Rowno and Luzk. Daughter colonies of Annette and Josephine grew up between Nowograd-Wolynsk and Zhitomir. By 1859 the area was home to about 6,000 Germans and 45 German colonies.
A great influx of settlers in the 1860s, especially after the Polish Rebellion of 1863, placed a great burden on the pastor in Zhitomir, who could visit each colony only once a year. This made it, in the words of the 1909 publication, an "easy game" for the Baptists in the area, and made it necessary to begin breaking down this huge parish into smaller units. In the "first round" of parish formation, the Parish of Roshischtsche was formed in 1863, and the Parish of Heimtal followed in 1869.
All Volhynian villages were in Zhitomir Parish before 1863. Apart from those in Roshischtsche Parish, all other Volhynian villages were in Zhitomir Parish between 1863 and 1869.
Pastors in Zhitomir Parish
| 1801 – 1825 | Georg Burchardt von RUHL |
| 1826 – 1841 | Johannes Gottfried BECKER |
| 1842 – 1866 | Peter STELZ |
| 1869 – 1907 | Heinrich Martin David WASEM |
| 1907 – 1914 | Johannes Theodor Ernst BARTH |
| 1926 – 1931 | Nikolai Adolf TOMBERG |
| 1933 – | Gustav UHLE |
Evangelical Congregations in Zhitomir Parish
| Adamowka | Julianowka | Plechow* (Pleschew) |
| Alt-Alexandrowka*+ (near Pulin) |
Justinowka+ | Poprawka*+ |
| Andrejew*+~ | Kamenka*+ (mixed owners/renters) |
Protowka (Neuheim)*+~ |
| Andrejewka+ (near Zhitomir) |
Karolinow*+ | Sadki (Bolschije Sadki)* (mixed owners/renters)+ (near Beresowka) |
| Berditschew | Karolow*+~ | Scheremoschna* (mixed owners/renter) |
| Beresowka (near Sadki) | Kasatin (railroad station) | Slawuta |
| Blumental (Zwetjanka)*+~ (near Pulin) |
Konstantinowka+ | Schöndorf (Lutschistaja)+~ |
| Bubno (Bubny, Glückstal)+~ |
Krassnaja Retschka*+ | Stanislawka (Stanislawowka)+ (near Waldheim or Lessnaja) |
| Dembowa | Lesnaja (Lesnaja Rudnia, Waldheim) | Stanislawowka-Berezolupy |
| Dobri Kut (Dobri Kunt)* | Lesowtschisna*+ (Lesowschtschisna, Lesowitschtsche?) | Stawischtsche+~ |
| Dobrin | Lindental (Lipowka)*+~ | Stribisch*+ |
| Dubljanowka+ | Lodsjanowka*+ | Sudilkow+ |
| Dubowez (Dubowec, Dubowiecka Buda) | Ludmilowka+ | Sulshinowka+ |
| Elisabethsort+ (Jelissawetinka) |
Ludwikowka+ | Tatartschek+ |
| Emilowka | Lutschistaja (Schöndorf) | Toporischtsche*+ |
| Fassowaja Rudna*+ | Macharowka | Tschernjachow (Scheremoschna,Neuborn)* (mixed owners/renters)+~ |
| Florowka* | Marianka*+~ | Uljanowka+ |
| Friedensdorf (Mirnaja, Neirnasa) |
Mariltschin+ | Waldheim (Lessnaja) |
| Gaberowka*+ | Martinowka*+ | Widumka* |
| Glückstal (Bubno)+~ | Mirnaja (Friedensdorf) | Wolwachowka*+~ |
| Helenowka*+ (near Emilowka) |
Moshari Chutor | Zhitomir (Shitomir) |
| Henrikowka (Heinrichowka, Genrikowka)+ | Mossejewka+ | Zwetjanka (Blumental)* |
| Holosna-Julianowka*+ | Neu-Alexandrowka* | |
| Horodischtsche+ | Olschewka* | |
| Iskorist (Jskorost) | Omelnja | |
| Jagodinka | Ossowa (Osowka)+ | |
| Jelissawetinka (Elisabethsort) | Owrutsch | |
| Jerusalemka*+ | Pekartschisna* |
+ 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)
Source:
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