Yushanlee (Molotschna Settlement, South Russia)
Yushanlee (also spelled Jushanlee), a Mennonite estate of the Molotschna settlement in South Russia established by Johann Cornies, the great organizer. One evening in 1830, while Cornies was driving his flock of sheep on the steppes, he stopped for the night along the Yushanlee River and noticed the next morning that the site was very suitable for a farm. He decided at once to build an advance station of civilization here. Soon a primitive clay hut stood here, which grew into the thriving unique model farm called Yushanlee. The 9,450 acres were leased from the government for an indeterminate period. In 17 years Yushanlee boasted a spacious dwelling, many stables and business buildings, all from the income of a tile factory on the land. In the garden there were 2,000 fruit trees, 1,750 plants of small fruits. A forest was planted with 68,000 trees, and an extensive nursery was kept up. Even though the farm was not Cornies' property, he developed it in exemplary fashion at great expense, and was rewarded by Tsar Nicholas I with a gift of 1,350 acres of this land.
In 1879 Yushanlee, against the wishes and without the knowledge of the last surviving Cornies heir, passed into outside possession. The new owner razed the old buildings and put up a small castle with the pertinent buildings. Only the bell tower in the middle of the court remained as a last witness of the gigantic achievement of a great man. After the Russian Revolution the estate was nationalized.
Bibliography
Epp, D. H. Johann Cornies. Winnipeg: CMBC Publications, 1946.
Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon, 4 vols. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. II, 448.
| Author(s) | D. H Epp |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1959 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Epp, D. H. "Yushanlee (Molotschna Settlement, South Russia)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1959. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Yushanlee_(Molotschna_Settlement,_South_Russia)&oldid=102402.
APA style
Epp, D. H. (1959). Yushanlee (Molotschna Settlement, South Russia). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Yushanlee_(Molotschna_Settlement,_South_Russia)&oldid=102402.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 1012. All rights reserved.
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