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Updated Information:  9 June 2003

Kurudschika / Bessarabia

The history of Kurudschika begins long before the chronicle of the German-Russian colony known as Kurudschika.

• Tsar Alexander I and the Turkish Sultan Selim III signed the Peace Treaty of Bucharest on 16 May 1812, present was Anton Fouton an advisor to General Ivan Sabanejew.  He received 5,000 desjatines  (12,350 acres)... of which Kurudschika was a part
  • The land was a square and located between the Skinos and the Sack Rivers and bordering on Kolatschowka Estate and Mintschuna Estate to the south.
  • In these early times slaves were used to farm for their owner.  One family, the Schukowsky, was still living there when the chronicler Daniel Erdmann, a teacher, wrote about the colony.
• Later owned by Lt. Bernadacki and citizen Herr [Mr.] Guensburg
  • Estate was known as "Guensburgdorf"
  • See Peterstal / Bess History and other German-Russian Chutors and Colonies
• B [represents people from Borodino / Bess. migr. to this colony
  • Motz from Borodino is listed in 1840 who had previously lived in Borodino/Bess. and left Russia ....and had  were returned from Rumania back to Bess. to settle here. Along with them were:
    • Kraft from Leipzig / Bess.
    • Reichenberg fr. Tarutino/ Bess.
    • Kirchhoefel fr Beresina / Bess.
• 1864 two Bulgarians Peter and Andrei Maradsch leased the estate
• 1880- Later leased by three colonists from Leipzig / Bess:
  • Daniel Buchwitz
  • Johann Mann
  • Ludwig Jeschke
  • 30 others leased  the land  was included in the  10 year lease agreement
• 1881 - first settlement year report:
  • "meager harvest"
• 1883 - The estate was inherited by Count Hatzfeld-Trachtenberg, dau. of Count Manuk-Bey....  Later she would sell some of  her land to those leasing her land as well as donate some for school, cemetery and church....
• 1884 and 1885 harvests were good
• 1886 the harvest was ruined by insects
• 1887-1888 - good harvest reported
• 1892 - failed harvest and public loans had to be made to support community
• 1909 - more land was purchased by new colonists from the Countess
  • 1,681.5 desjatines (4,153 acres)
• The Countess donated 33 acres of land for church and school, also, she gave back the purchasing monies to the community which was distributed by the elders
• 1927 flood that held a crest of nine feet rampaged the community and destroyed 57 of the 117 homes...
• Homeland Book of the Bessarabian Germans, text by Albert Kern, pps. 140-141