Russian colony Aleksandrovka in Austria, Potsdam resort
 Any Russian tourist who happens to be in Germany, specifically in Potsdam, will be pleased to visit a place where you can forget that you are in a foreign country and get into the atmosphere of a Russian village. This place is the Russian colony of Aleksandrovka, which is a small village in the north of Potsdam, built in 1826-1827 by King Frederick Wilhelm III of Prussia and named after Emperor Alexander I, with whom he was friends. The architectural ensemble of the village is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Back in the war of 1812, in which Prussia was forced to participate on the side of the Napoleonic troops, Russian soldiers were captured by the French-Prussian side, 62 of which remained in Potsdam. Later, when Prussia and Russia united in the fight against France, these people formed a separate regiment. A military choir was created from the soldiers, which often entertained the king with its singing. After the death of Alexander I in 1825, 12 more Russian singers remained in Potsdam. The Aleksandrovka colony was created especially for them. Each of them was provided with wooden houses on one or two floors with furniture and a garden, even a cow was attached to each farm. The colony was designed by Peter Josef Lenne. He decided to give Alexandrovka the shape of a hippodrome with the St.Andrew's Cross inside. The crossing of the crossbeams was marked by the house of the foreman. Houses in the colony were built in a half-timbered style, but were faced with Russian huts. In 1927, only four families of the descendants of Russian soldier-singers remained in the colony, and today only one family lives here with the usual Russian surname Grigorievs. After the dissolution of the first Guards regiment in Prussia and until 1945, the colony was kept by the Hohenzollerns. In the days of the GDR, the rules of the colony were revised, and after 1990 most of the buildings of the colony passed into private hands. The Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Church, consecrated in 1829, was also built in the colony. It is one of the earliest surviving monuments of the Russian architectural style in Germany. Today the building of the temple has a pleasant pink color, and next to it there is a small cemetery where the descendants of Kutuzov and other famous Russian dynasties are buried. Frederick Wilhelm III was very fond of gathering guests in his country house on the territory of Alexandrovka. This house has two floors and a log facade. On the second floor there was a tea room, the simplicity of the decoration of which was diluted only with expensive tea sets. In 2005, a colony museum appeared here.     We also recommend reading Lindstedt Palace in Austria, Potsdam spa Topic: Russian colony Aleksandrovka in Austria, Potsdam resort. |
