Geography of the Colony

Norka (Норка in Cyrillic script) is situated on the Bergseite (hilly side) of the Volga River in the Canton (district) of Balzer, about 65 kilometers southwest of the city of Saratov. Saratov (Саратов in Cyrillic script or Saratow or Saratoff in German) is also the name of the province in which Norka is located. The geographic coordinates of the colony are 51° 09' North latitude and 45° 18' East longitude. (See the Maps page for additional information). Today, Norka is named Nekrasovo.

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Located about 25 kilometers to the east of Norka is the colony of Beideck (Talovka) which is located on the main road (1P288) connecting Saratov and Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad). The colony of Schilling (Sosnovka) is located about 34 kilometers to the east of Norka and was important because it had a boat landing on the Volga River. To the south are the smaller colonies of Huck (Splavnukha) and Neu-Messer which were part of the Norka parish. The nearest Russian village named Rybushka was located 16 kilometers northeast of the colony. The colony of Kolb (Peskovka) was located about 26 kilometers southwest of Norka. The colonies of Walter (Grechinnaya Luka) and Frank (Medveditsa) are located approximately 37 kilometers and 35 kilometers due west of Norka, respectively. Throughout their history, Norka and Frank were two of the greatest rivals among the German colonies. Many good natured stories were told which highlighted this this underlying tension.

The Karamysh River formed the eastern and northern boundaries of the land belonging to the Norka colony, flowing from south to north and meeting the Medveditsa River to the northwest of the colony. The southern boundaries of the Norka land were formed against the Huck and Frank lands. To the north and west the Norka lands joined those of the Russian villages along the Medveditsa River. The Medveditsa converges with the Don River near Serafimovich.

Norka was connected to the surrounding colonies and the city of Saratov by wagon roads. The trip to Saratov was difficult due to the length and the fact that travelers had to pass through a wooded area northeast of the colony called the Kosakenwald (Cossack Woods). The Kosakenwald was about half way between Norka and Saratov and the narrow road cut through a dense forest that were frequently inhabited by robber bands. Gruesome stories of what happened on these journeys were often told in the late winter evenings. Just south of the Kosakenwald was a small Russian village and a Gasthof (guest house) where travelers could get a meal.

A 1935 contour map of Norka and the surrounding area showing the street layout, church location and other geographic features.

The colony of Norka lies on a sloping strip of land between two streams that rise from springs located west of the colony which rise to about 260 meters (850 feet). The hills were covered with forests of ash, birch, pine and linden trees. In the early days, strawberries, blackberries, cherries and pear trees could be found. The Norka Fluss (The German word "Fluss" translates to flow or river) originates 2 to 3 kilometers west of the colony and traverses the northern side of the the village and was used as drinking water for the livestock. The second and larger stream called the Ella Bahn flowed south of 9th street. Part of this stream was used to irrigate the privately owned fruit and vegetable gardens that lay along its banks. The gardens contained potatoes, cabbage, squash, watermelons, dill, carrots, beets, gooseberries, cucumbers as well as apple and cherry trees. Water from the Ella Bahn was also carried through the colony in pipes and at certain intervals wells were dug so that everyone could have clean drinking water. The meaning of the German word "Ella" is possibly from the Old German name Alia, meaning "All". The German word "Bahn" translates to course and is sometimes recorded in English as "Borne". The Ella Bahn meets the Norka Fluss at the east end of the colony.

Between the Norka Fluss and the Ella Bahn, the colony extended by over 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from west to east, but there were only five blocks with nine streets running north to south. Each square block contained four households which included a home, several barns, and an open courtyard surrounded by a high fence and gate.

Very few houses had landscaping as water was far too precious to be used in this way. All water was hand carried from the wells located throughout the colony.

The highest hills in the area were called the Galge Löcher (Gallows Hole) and lay northwest of the colony. Also to the west were two canyons called the Pfaffe Graben (Priest's Gulch) and the Streit Graben (Controversy Gulch). The Pfaffe Graben was used for adult immersion by the Baptists and Adventists. The Streit Graben was once the scene of a boundary dispute between Norka and one of its neighboring colonies. Feeding into the Norka Fluss were several other Graben or gulches running north and south of the colony.

In 1880, the colony was divided into three sections: the Oberdorf (upper portion of the colony located to the west), the Mitteldorf (middle part of the colony) and the Unterdorf (lower part of the colony located to the east). The pastor, schoolteacher and the wealthier inhabitants lived in the Mitteldorf and the less wealty people in the other two sections. There was always a certain amount of rivalry between these three sections of the colony.

The church, parsonage, a school house, the cemetery and a few stores were located in the Mitteldorf. In addition, there was a Kreis Amt or county courthouse, a fire station in which several horses, carts and necessary equipment were kept, and the colony jail which was called the Kalmucken Haus because the first offenders to inhabit the building were allegedly Kalmucks.