"Twenty verst from Odessa in the south-west direction lies the German-Catholic Colony Ksenijewka (Kleinliebenthal). This colony was established in the year 1805 by emigrants from Alsace, Bavaria and the Palatinate. Presently there are 82 farmsteads with approximately 1900 souls. The village lies on both sides of a brooklet, which has water only after a big rainfall and which separates the village into two parallel streets. The one where the church is standing is called "German", the other one is called "Russian."

Because the church built first was soon too small, in 1866 the community built a new church. The expenditures for this amounted to
19,000 rubles. To the right, next to the church, is the new parsonage, which was built by the community in 1883. To the left of the church is the old parsonage in which the residence of the sexton (sacristan) is located. Special mention should be made of the school. The building houses three large class rooms which are light and cheerful. The fourth class room is located in the old school where the residence of the teacher of the Russian Language is located. The school employs 4 teachers and has approximately 350 children.

On the Russian side near the Kleinliebenthaler Liman there is a public swimming pool owned by the doctors Wagner and Meier. It is open from May 15 until September 15th.

The inhabitants are almost all involved with agriculture (farming) and partially also growing of vegetables and they enjoy fair prosperity.


G. C. Daeschle"

(1 verst = 2/3 mile or about 1.1 km)

Ground Plan of the Kleinliebental Church
Source: Joseph Schnurr, "Die Kirchen und das religiöse Leben der Russlanddeutschen" p. 62-65
translated by Peter Mock