On May 24, 2002, members of the Glückstal Colonies Research Association (GCRA) dedicated a memorial monument in the former German village of Glückstal (today Hlinaia/Glinoye, Transnistria, Moldova).
The Glückstal Colonies Research Association (GCRA) and the Germans from Russia Heritage Collection (GRHC) at North Dakota State University sponsored the project. Michael M. Miller of GRHC oversaw and coordinated with contacts in Ukraine. Arrangements for the stone were made by Dr. Sergey Yelizarov of the Odessa Institute of Agriculture in Odessa and Pavel Pratchuk, then mayor of Novosamarka, the former Glückstal daughter colony of Sofiental. Their assistance along with Miller’s guidance on behalf of the GRCA was instrumental in purchasing and moving the stone, arranging for the inscription, and setting it in place for the dedication ceremony.
“…this monument is here in memory of ‘our people,’ the Glückstal Colonists. They were Lutheran and Reformed Protestants who sustained their large families as craftsmen and farmers on the rich soil of these valleys. They sang in their churches, toiled in their fields, and were buried in their cemeteries, leaving their children and grandchildren to carry on… For more than a century, they lived peacefully alongside other ethnic groups. These German-speaking settlers called this place Glückstal—Valley of Good Fortune...”
The monument itself is a black granite stone, about 40 inches high. It is placed on a rise at the corner of the school yard, with a backdrop of both evergreen and deciduous trees, and can be seen from two streets. The text on the front is in Russian, and the text on the back is in German. On the Russian side, underneath, it reads: "Glückstal Colonies Research Association, May 2002," in English. On the German side, it reads "Denkmal von amerikanischen Nachfahren deutscher Siedler, die die Glückstaler Kolonien zwischen 1804 and 1810 gegründeten errichtet." And underneath, "Memorial erected by American descendants of German settlers who founded the Glückstal Colonies in 1804-1810."
The dedication ceremony was on the last day of school. It was attended by all the students, many of the townspeople, and regional dignitaries and archivists. School children dressed in costumes of Moldova, Ukraine, and Germany welcome the Americans with bread and salt. A program was presented by the school under the direction of the principal, Iryna Semenovna Mokriak, and the Director of the Glückstal School Museum, Tatyana Ivanovna Bondarchuk. The school pageant written for the dedication included readings, songs, and dances telling the village history and the story of its inhabitants through the years. The fourth graders presented a folk dance, older children presented a dance representing the ghosts of the valley and the long deceased ancestors, and another dance showed the mingling of the ghosts with those currently living in the village. There was also a dance showing the conflict of good and evil in the colonies over time. The program showed the cycles of life and death, joys and tribulations, and the journey of life.
Margaret Freeman, GCRA Coordinator, and Miller unveiled the monument, after which the school children and townspeople came forward to place peonies and other flowers at the base of the monument.
“We are here as representatives of Glückstal Colonies Research Association. We are a group of people learning more about our ancestors and the time that they lived in these beautiful valleys. We come from North American and Western Europe to dedicate this monument to the memory of all those who were born here, worked here, lived here, died and are buried here. We wish to honor all those who have made this place their home over the centuries.” — Margaret Freeman (1929-2010), GCRA Coordinator
At the conclusion of the dedication, Pastor Vladimir Moser from the Tiraspol Lutheran Church consecrated the stone and blessed the sacred ground on which it stood. This location also contains human remains unearthed at the site of the old German cemetery of Glückstal. The present school was built on the site of the old German cemetery.
Present at the dedication from the United States and Germany: Bob and Margaret Freeman, GCRA Coordinator; Michael M. Miller, GRHC; Janice (Huber) and Thomas Stangl; Roger and Elaine Klusman; Tim and Judy Klusman; Dr. Ken and Cathy Vogele; Gwen Pritzkau; Bernadine Lang Kuhn; Harley Roth; Oskar and Helma (Seefried) Eberle of Germany; and Bob Dambach, Prairie Public.
Present at the dedication from Moldova and Ukraine: Dr. Sergey Yelizarov, Odessa Institute of Agriculture, Odessa, Ukraine; Pavel Pratchuk, mayor of Novosamarka, Ukraine, former Glückstal daughter colony Sofiental; Iryna Semenovna Mokriak, Glinoye School principal; Tatyana Ivanovna Bondarchuk, Director of the Glückstal School Museum; Pastor Vladimir Moser, Tiraspol Lutheran Church; Mayor Vladimir Strigunov, the Head of the Trans Dniester Republic Parliament Committee on Education, Youth Policy, Culture and Sport; Maria Yakovlewna Makarova, the Director of the Trans Dniester Republic State Archives; Zinaida Grigoriewna Todorashko, the Director of the Grigoriopol State Archives; Svetlana Vasiliewna Kozakova; and reporters from two TV stations, newspapers and a radio station.
“This monument is dedicated to those who once lived here and endured, and to their descendants wherever they are now scattered. May they always carry with them the good fortune of this valley.”
Since 2002, many descendants of the Glückstal colonists have visited their ancestral villages with GHRC's Journey to the Homeland Tour. Many stop at the Glückstal Memorial Monument to remember and honor those whose footsteps they follow.
Additional photos of the ceremony and of the villages of the Glückstal enclave can be found on GRHC's Journey to the Homeland photo collections.
Credits:
Photos courtesy of the Germans from Russia Heritage Collection (GRHC) and members of the Journey to the Homeland Tour: Michael M. Miller; Jeremy Kopp; James and Alice (Zimmerman) Ackerman; Theresa A. Berg; Lori Gauper Kishel; Carole Herlyn Schauer; Arsen Dyogot, Ukraine; Merv Weiss; and Alexander Stolyarov for his photo contribution to Google Maps used here. Text courtesy of the Glückstal Colonies Research Association Newsletter. Layout by Sandy Schilling Payne. Copyright ©2022, Glückstal Colonies Research Association.