Church and Religion
The church was an important part of the colonist's intellectual world and helped sustain their moral standards, language and ethnic character.
Practically all of the colonists claimed a religious affiliation. Based on the 1767 Original Settlers List, the overwhelming majority of the 218 families that settled in Norka were of the Reformed faith. Only 16 families (7 percent) identified themselves as Lutherans and 6 families (3 percent) as Roman Catholics. Many of the Catholics were craftsmen from non-German countries or provinces such as France, Flanders and Brabant.
Many colonists were part of the Pietism Movement that had its origins in 17th century Germany. This was a movement that emphasized the need for a "religion of the heart" instead of the head, and was characterized by ethical purity, inward devotion, charity, and even mysticism.
By decree of January 31, 1764 (Comp. Coll. Of Laws, No. 12322), it was ordered "To build in every settled district one church complete with all necessary furnishings and a suitable home for the pastor, at the treasury expense for the inhabitants of the entire district, exempting those expenses for the course of the privileged years from each household at an equal number." This was done because the colonists, "in view of their poverty, are not in a position to construct them."
In the early years after the founding of the original colonies, there were 16 churches and their pastors' homes and schools were based on the number of parishes: eleven Protestant and five Catholic. Among the first parishes were Protestant: Talovka, Lenoi Karamysh, Podstepnaya and Sebastyanovka which were established in 1767. Ust-Kulalinka, Medveditskii Krestovy Buyerak, DeBoff (in Oleshnya), Norka and Beauregard (in Katharinenstadt) were established in 1768. Le Roy (in Privalnaya) was established in 1770 and Vodyanoi Buyerak in 1771.
By decree of the Governing Senate on May 14, 1767 surveyors were instructed to to set aside land for each church at 609 desyatina (a Russian measure of land where 1 desyatina equals roughly 1.1 hectares).
The first church in Norka was built with pride as the centerpiece of the colony. It was the largest and best building in the village.
In the early years, separate church services were held for the Lutheran and Reformed faith families. Both services were performed by either a Lutheran or Reformed pastor in the colony. After years of socialization and intermarriage, religious differences were set aside and they worshipped together.
In 1822, a new church was built on the location of the original church. This building stood until 1882, when the third church was dedicated. The cornerstone for the third church was laid on June 24, 1880 during a worship service attended by former Norka pastor Rev. Gottlieb Bonwetsch, the Rev. Jordan from neighboring Balzer and the Rev. Wilhelm Stärkel, who was the pastor of the Norka parish at the time. According to an article in Der Kirchenbote the following church, district and parish officials were also present at the laying of the cornerstone: H. Georg Gerlach, Heinrich Yost, G. Georg Scheidemann, Johannes Krieger, Johannes Deines, Heinrich Schlitt, Heinrich Peter Sinner, Conrad Batz, Johannes Schmer, Johann Georg Batz, Adam Rudolf, J. P. Donis and Johann Rudolf.
Church life was the center of community affairs and as such the church building was located in the middle of the colony with homes surrounding it. Across the street from the church were the parsonage, the pastor's fruit garden, the schoolhouse, an old cemetery and the bell tower.
Construction of the third (and last) church in Norka was begun in 1880 between 8th and 9th streets. It was built primarily from wood in the Kontor architectural style that was popular in Russia at that time. According to Reuben Bauer in his book, One Of Many, the foundations of the church were approximately three feet thick and constructed from stone and mortar. The dimensions were 127 feet wide and 175 feet long. There were three doors in addition to the main door in which the faithful would enter. The timber frame gable roof was covered with tin sheeting. Crowning the domed steeple of the church was a large iron globe, approximately 5 feet in diameter, which symbolized the world. Above the hollow globe, was a six foot gilt cross. The exterior wooden plank siding of the church was painted white and on a clear day it could be seen from many miles away. Joseph Schnurr in Die Kirchen und das religioese Leben der Russlanddeutschen states that the church seated 2,500 people.
Bauer states that the interior of the church was simple in design. The walls and ceiling were painted but largely unadorned in keeping with the beliefs of the Reformed church. Looking down the wood plank floor of the main aisle, beyond the varnished benches, was the altar and Communion Table on a raised platform at the head of the church. The Communion Table was covered by a maroon velvet cloth. A plain golden cross rested on the altar and beneath it was an open Bible. Immediately above the altar and fastened to the wall was a large arched banner with the words, "Lobet den Herren in Seinem Heiligtum". Literally translated from German it proclaims "Praise the Lord in His holy temple."
A striking feature in the church was the side pulpit suspended in mid-air by a five-inch thick iron rod. A suspended canopy hung over the pulpit which was accessed from below from a spiral staircase.
The church had more than 40 windows which illuminated the sanctuary with natural light.
The seating arrangement commonly practiced in the Volga German churches dictated that the men sat on the left and women and children on the right of the main floor. The second floor held the choir voices and the great pipe organ. The sermon was given from the suspended pulpit (see photo below).
Left: The third Norka church and its congregation
Right: Interior of the Norka Church with the altar and Communion Table in front and the side pulpit to the right.
Read more about the Pastors of the Norka Church
The church grounds were enclosed by a fence and planted with beautiful shurbbery and trees.
Church services lasted one hour and forty-five minutes. The choir consisting of unmarried men and and women would sing two or three selections aside from the congregational singing.
The beautiful pipe organ was played the the schoolmaster had the possibility of twenty registers or musical variations. Although it was said to be only about one-quarter the size of a full pipe organ, it would still cause the church to vibrate when the volume reached its maximum. The organ-pedaller who sat behind the organ pumped air into the different length of tubes leading to the large number of pipes. Norka bought its organ in 1792 and proudly claimed to have been the first one among the German colonies to do so.
In the winter it was difficult and expensive to heat the large church building. As a result, the services were held in the schoolhouse near the church.
Norka choir in 1906 with Rev. Stärkel seated in the center. The choir included unmarried men and women as well as children. Standing behind Rev. Stärkel is the Chorleiter (Choir Leader), Karl Leonhardt, holding a tuning fork in his right hand and a Wolga Gesangbuch (Volga Song Book) in his left hand. These objects symbolized the Chorleiter's leadership and authority in conducting and leading the singing. To the extreme left of the photograph is the Schulmeister holding a Bible or Wolga Gesangbuch. The Schulmeister was the school master or as we would say today the "principal" of the school. His job was to take the place of the pastor for the leading of the ordinary worship service and in some cases for funerals and baptisms where the pastor was unavailable. The Schulmeister also assisted the pastor in visitation of the sick along with one or two elders of the church. This particular person wore a long suit jacket, it looked like a coat. This was considered a formal dress ware for the Schulmeister to be worn in the church. While the pastor wore the pulpit gown or (der Mantel). Sometimes the Schulmeister also wore a small cross-stitch tie similar to the one worn by all the Lutheran and Reformed pastors as in the case of Rev. Stärkel. The cross-stitch tie was worn as a symbol by Luther and Zwingli protestant reformers.
The choir had a leader, known in German as the Chorleiter. The Chorleiter's job was to give the choir or congregation the musical pitch by striking a tuning fork against the metal music stand and then raising it with all to listen to carefully and hum the tone in their heads, thus giving the musical pitch for all the basses, tenors, altos and sopranos to be in harmony (a four part harmony). Then the organ began to play and either the choir and/or the congregation chimed in with the singing of that specific hymn. The Chorleiter's role was very significant and necessary. His job was to lead the singing but also to bring the singing together in a harmonious tonal quality.
Norka Bell Tower
Many of the Volga colony churches had a bell tower and Norka was no exception. The structure had stairs leading up to the top level which contained three different sized bells that served as a means of communication for the people of the colony.
The tower played an important role in the community. On Sunday mornings, all of the colonists in Norka were summoned to the church by the ringing of the bells. It was a day to wear their best clothes as the strolled to the church with their Bibles and Wolga Gesangbuch (Volga Song Books) in their arms.
On Sunday evenings, the bells were rung to announce the close of the Sabbath and the beginning of the weekly routine.
Every evening at 7 p.m. a bell was rung to indicate that the work day was ended.
On Wednesday night, the bells served called the people to the Versamlung or prayer meetings.
The bells were also rung to warn of a fire, to announce a death in the village and to call people to a funeral service. During very inclement weather, such as blizzards, the bells were rung steadily for hours to provide direction to the colony for those who might be lost out on the wide open steppe.
It was customary for the church choir to gather on the bell tower the evening before Easter and Pentecost to sing hymns.
Norka Bell Tower
Those who were devout religious practioners treasured several books:
1. Die Heilige Schrift mit Apokraphyl (The Holy Script with Apocraphyl). Die Bibel oder die ganze heilige Schrift des Alten und neuen Testaments. Dr. Martin Luther mit Apokrphen.
The Bible or the Holy Script of the Old and New Testaments. By Dr. Martin Luther with the Apocraphyl.
2. Wolga Gesangbuch. Sammlung Christlicher Lieder fuer die offentliche und hausliche Andacht, zum Gebraucht der deutschen evangelischen Kolienen an der Wolga.
Volga songbook. A collection of Christian songs for the public and private use of the German Protestant colonies on the Volga.
According to Joseph Schnurr, by 1906, the parish of Norka (which also included the colonies of Huck and Neu-Messer) numbered 23,179 members. Only 385 were Lutherans; the remaining 22,794 were of the Reformed faith.
Follow this link to see a painting of the Norka Bell Tower by artist Michael Boss
Follow this link to see a painting of the Norka church service by artist Michael Boss
The following was written on the back of the photo: "Norka Church. Picture brought to America in 1912."
Information on the Norka Church by Pauline (Lehl) Deering of Milwaukie, Oregon (a typewritten note accompanying the photograph):
"Concerning the picture: It was handed to the chapter president [of AHSGR Oregon] by a member who had received it from Pauline [Deering]. She had requested that it be presented to the chapter.
When viewing the picture of the Norka church, one sees snow on the roof as well as on the trees and shrubs surrounding it, lilacs and acacia (the locust tree), a tree or shrub with yellow or white flower clusters. One notices a wrought iron fence; the money was given by American people from Akron, Ohio. Akron is Norka spelled backwards. The money was to be for the church and instead, Pastor Stärkel wanted the fence. This caused friction among the congregation.
Pauline (Lehl) Deering was baptized in this church on Easter Sunday, April 29, 1910. When Russia became communist, the church was destroyed."
At the end of the 1920's at the latest, if not partially earlier than that, the official church life was systematically destroyed in Norka and the Volga region. This was the case in the entire Soviet Union. Gerd Stricker writes that "Half of the parishes were vacant by 1923 and most of them were vacant by 1927/29." The pastors were arrested and exiled, disappeared or were murdered. The German colonists of Norka had to see how they as "sheep" without shepherds and without the protection of a fellowship could retain their faith.
The third Norka church completed in 1882
During Stalin's reign of terror In 1930's, the church was closed. The church building was then used as the state grain warehouse until it was completely destroyed in the late 1930's. The last pastor in Norka, Emil Pfeiffer, was arrested in 1935 and resettled near Alma-Ata in Kazakhstan. He was later shot. Thus ended all public expressions of religion in Norka. Six years later, in 1941, all but a few ethnic Germans in Norka would be forcibly deported from their ancestral home in Russia.