Luteranske cemetery (Zhytomyr)

Ukraine / Zhytomyrska / Zhytomyr
 cemetery, lutheranism, green area
Lutheran cemetery.
Divided by a fence (to the left of the entrance to the Polish cemetery) is an old Lutheran (German) Cemetery. German immigrants began to settle in Zhitomir in the first half of the XIX century. Zhitomir particularly attracted Germans from aristocratic families. Among the members of the German community of Zhitomir were musicians, bankers, architects, engineers, entrepreneurs, publishers, even heads of Zhitomir (in 1883 - 1886 the city was the head of Oscar Ernstovich Trull). It was a small community (about 1% of the population), but the most educated. Families Richter (ancestors of the famous pianist Sviatoslav Richter), Arndt Stein, Enshey, Foerster, Wilke, Schedel, a physician Henry Nat (in his house lived the writer Alexander Kuprin), State Councillor Matus Baumgarten - it's not just the names. It's part of the intellectual elite of our city. At the Lutheran cemetery rests grandmother Elizabeth von Richter Reinke, Infantry General Nikolai Ottovich Duve, known in pre-revolutionary times Zhytomyr doctor Henry Nutt, well-known philanthropist and artist Ivan Baron de Maksimilianovich Shoduar. By the way, a monument to General Duve sculpted sculptor Gregory Olishkevich - author of the Pushkin monument in the Old Boulevard. In the 30 years of the last century with the Lutheran cemetery tombstones began to disappear, most of which was found later on the Smolyan and Vilskom (Victory Street) cemeteries and graves on the "untimely death" of Party and government officials. The names of the former "owners" were erased and overwritten by the new ones. In the 1970s, the cemetery was built right on the cooperative garages. Today, the cemetery can be seen only grand thickets yes fallen tombstones, piles of trash and garages. Removed from the city cemetery records. This is an abandoned cemetery evokes nostalgia and leaves an unpleasant aftertaste. It should serve as a living reproach, but is only scant dry responses weak shocks, or at all, and leaves many indifferent.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   50°16'2"N   28°37'51"E

Comments

  • I rember that cemetary when I was a kid. There are still 20-40 tombstomes left. All written in German. Its like "gebohrenn 1855. Tot 57 Yahre alt " er cetera. The cemetary is getting cleaned now. Kids from high school and local Lutheran priest clean the place once a year very thorougly. It used to be a place where a lot of garbage was piled, tombes demolished, vandalized. Very sad. I am glad that local authorities revoked its status and added an old antique German cemetary to the official cadaster of cultural historical haritage munuments.
This article was last modified 9 years ago