One of many: the fate of Eva Bleicher against the background of the history of the Yamburg settlment

Abstract

The article examines the fate of Eva Bleicher, closely connected with the history of the former German colony of Yamburg in the territory of modern Dnipropetrovsk region. The purpose of the study is to analyze the historical development of the Yamburg colony from the late 18th century to the early 21st century, with a focus on the everyday life of German colonists in the 20th century through the prism of Eva Bleykher’s memoirs, and to identify the specific features of the formation of a local historical narrative based on written and oral sources. Important research methods are historical and local history, source studies, analytical methods, and the oral history method. Main results. The origin and establishment of the Yamburg colony have been identified, and the significant role of German colonies in the socio-economic development of the Katerynoslav province has been determined, as the colonists contributed to the economic development and cultural enrichment of the region. The development of Yamburg (now the settlement of Dniprovske) reflects typical patterns in the functioning of German colonies in Southern Ukraine: formation in the 19th century, crises in the first half of the 20th century caused by collectivization, the Holodomor, and repressions, and decline as a result of deportations. A unique sourcе – the memoirs of Eva Bleykher, introduced into scholarly circulation for the first time – has been analyzed. These memoirs make it possible to reconstruct the everyday life of colonists in the 20th century, particularly during the Second World War and Soviet repressions, providing a personalized and emotionally rich perspective on historical events. It is demonstrated that German colonies, including Yamburg, became centers for the introduction of new agricultural technologies and the preservation of ethnocultural identity, which made them an important element of the cultural mosaic of Southern Ukraine. Conclusions. Based on the memoirs of Eva Bleykher, the tragic fate of most German colonists throughout the 20th century has been clarified, along with their contributions to the development of the region and the current state of the territory where the settlement once existed. In particular, the transformation of Yamburg from a German cultural center into a modern cottage settlement is described, and the issue of preserving the heritage of the colonists – who left a significant mark on the history and culture of the region – is highlighted.