The Suderman House in Zelene. An Estate That Was Lucky

A love of travel and discovery is born back in childhood, when moral values and spiritual needs are formed. It is very important to preserve cultural and historical heritage for young explorers and pioneers, to cultivate a sense of responsibility for preserving historical monuments. Memory is our strength in creating the future. Sadly, in recent years there has been no careful treatment of architectural and historical gems; many unique buildings and estates left to us by earlier generations have been irretrievably lost or spoiled beyond recognition by rebuilding. Every historical object is individual and carries the memory of a bygone era, and needs to be preserved and protected.

A one-of-a-kind example of cultural heritage has survived in the village of Zelene in the Dobropillia area.

 

Zelene in the Dobropillia area. The "Manor House" architectural-historical complex. The Suderman house. 1897-1914

The old estate withstood the collective-farm-and-reconstruction 20th century, which buried the nests of the gentry, and is being restored by new owners.

 

The grounds of the estate in Zelene

The landowner Heinrich Suderman owned 570 desiatynas in the Kryvyi Rih volost (now the village of Zelene, Pokrovsk district of Donetsk region).

 

Families of German Mennonites, followers of the Protestant church, took refuge on Ukrainian territory from religious persecution and were distinguished by their enterprise, initiative and good husbandry. The European settlers built factories, mills and oil presses. They were innovators in industry and agriculture, in medicine and education. Thanks to the Mennonites, schools and hospitals appeared, and for construction they used bricks of their own making. German Mennonite families had many children. Five children were raised in the family of Heinrich Suderman and his wife Maria. In 1887 the Sudermans set about large-scale construction, and a two-storey mansion in the Classicist style was laid down for the large family.

The Suderman house

On the facade of the house the date the construction was finished has survived -- 1914 -- and three letters, H M S -- Heinrich, Maria, Suderman.

Bricks with the stamp "K" were made by a neighbour and relative of Maria, Heinrich Klassen, owner of the Mariinskyi farmstead. In 1910 the Sudermans were making their own bricks with the stamp "S".

The house is not abundant in architectural excesses, but has survived in its original form. Arched stone decoration adorns the windows, and on the high porch two columns lend the building a stately air.

In the yard Suderman planted an oak -- a symbol of longevity, might, endurance and fertility. The owners of estates planted giant trees in honour of their children, but this mute witness to the history of Zelene has remained the only one.

 

The oak planted by Suderman in 1887

Together with the mansion, a smithy, a steam mill, a house for the servants and outbuildings were constructed.

 

The house for the servants

The outbuildings

The entrance to the estate is adorned by two columns with the dates 1887 and 1912, probably the beginning and the end of the estate's construction.

 

The gate with the dates 1887 and 1912

On the northern and western sides the manor is surrounded, like a horseshoe, by the Gentry Pond.

 

The Gentry Pond in Zelene

Heinrich Yakovych was an active public figure, took part in the discussion of important questions of volost life, and collected donations for the "Bethania" psychiatric hospital. With the arrival of the Bolsheviks the "Zirka" commune was set up in the manor house, and Suderman was shot by the Makhnovists at Chaplyne station. The fate of his wife and children is unknown.

 

In Soviet times the manor house held a school, a club, a library and a first-aid post.

Millstones and a threshing roller in the yard

In 2008 Anatolii Kurhanov, a resettler from Donetsk, took up the restoration of the estate. The entrepreneur's aim was to revive the household and to open the historical monument for tourists to visit. Several years went into reconstructing the buildings of the historical complex. Now the father's cause has passed to his son Ruslan Kurhanov. A mini-zoo has been created, and a poultry yard and a sheep farm have been rebuilt. The shop sells cheese, milk, butter and eggs.

 

Poultry yards in the yard

Heinrich Suderman loved horses, and now at the estate one can spend time with the bay steeds.

Horses for riding

Those who wish can learn the basics of horseback riding or take a ride in a carriage drawn by a pair or three of black horses.

 

The carriage shed

A young orchard and a vineyard have been planted on the grounds, and by the pond a swing and a gazebo have been set up.

The gazebo and swing on the bank of the Gentry Pond

The vineyard and the young orchard

From the water tower converted into a viewing platform, a panorama of the surroundings opens up -- the hills of ancient kurgans and the green expanses of the plantations.

 

The water tower -- a viewing platform

Kurhanov plans to open a mini-hotel for visitors and to host conferences and other mass events to popularise the estate. Entry to the grounds of the architectural-historical complex is free. The day off is Monday.

The stable of 1889

A walk around the grounds of the renewed manor will acquaint you with the history of the Donetsk land, which is not too rich in pre-revolutionary monuments.

 

A signpost on the grounds of the estate

Address: the "Manor House" architectural-historical complex, the village of Zelene, Pokrovsk district (Dobropillia), Donetsk region.

Coordinates: 48°28'9"N 36°51'18"E

Related stories: Kramatorsk. The Noble Nest of the Korshuns · Prelesne. The Bantysh Palace. Charm and disenchantment · Sviatohirsk: A Historical and Architectural Reserve · The Dobropillia Area. From Sviatohorivka to Dobropillia

This story is also available in Ukrainian: Будинок Судермана в Зеленому на Добропіллі. Садиба, якій пощастило