Kostrovo

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Former German village Bludau (until 1946).

Bludau (Polish: Bludowo), was a village in the district (Kreis) of Braunsberg. The village has its first written records in 1258, and seems to be organized by the locator Hermann von Bludau. He had the patronat rights over the church, and was in the possesion of four farms. The church building was renewed in 1703 and sanctized by laybishop Remigius Laszewski. The church had its patrocinia Holy Mary and Saint Nicolaus. The weathersign on top of the church tower carried the year 1718. In 1905, the village had 287 inhabitants, mainly of German origin, Lutheran protestant. In 1939 Bludau had 637 inhabitants. At the end of 1945 there were 11 farms, of which two were farm estates. On 30 January 1945 the village was evacuated as the Soviet-German battlefront was neared on 15 km. A few people stayed behind and were transported after the Soviets took the village, died of hunger or disease. During the war, 50 inhabitants died or were missing in action. 76 inhabitants died during the evacuation, while fleeing for the Soviet army, or in the after-war situation. Few pre-war German age buildings exist.
Around 1955, new buildings were built for a Russian settlement. Main agricultural business is a large mink farm with ab. 4000 animals.