VGI Updates

The Rev. Nikolaus Reinhold Sprekelsen was born 26 July 1829. He was ordained on 21 December 1858.

He served from 1859-1865 in Kamsko-Ishewsk. From 1865-1904, he served in Schöndorf.

Pastor Gustav Ferdinand Otto was born 17 July 1813 in Beideck. He is the son of Pastor Johann Martin Otto & Anna Katharina Filbert. He began his education in Sarepta and studied in Reval (1829-1834). He studied theology at the University of Dorpat from 1835 to 1842 and was ordained in Katharinenstadt.

He served parishes in Kursk (1844-1852), Tver (1852-1858), and Tula-Kaluga (1858-1872).

Pastor Johann Martin Otto, son of gardner Johann Christoph Otto, was born on 22 February 1765 in Cottbus, Niederlausitz, Sachsen (Saxony).

He studied theology at the City Univeristy of Halle. He worked first as a teacher, but then was ordained on 25 March 1793 in Berlin.

From 1793 to 1820, he served as pastor in Beideck. From 1820 to 1835, he served the congregation in Kukkus.

The Rev. Johannes Parstrauts was born on 29 August 1851 in Bauske (Kurland), and died on 3 April 1929 near Mittau. He was ordained on 30 May 1894 in Moscow and served the congregation of St. Peters in St. Petersburg (1894-1895) and the congregation in Gnadenflur (1895-1909).

Father Josef Paul was born in 1889 in the Volga German colony of Rohleder.

He studied theology at the Catholic Seminary in Saratov and was ordained in 1913. He served the parishes of Neu-Kolonie and Seelmann from 1916-1924.

Peter the Great, the grandfather of Catherine the Great's husband, Peter III, was born 7 May 1682. He was cornated on 25 June 1682 and his older half-sister served as regent until he took control in 1689 through his mother. Peter himself took over real reign in 1694 when his mother died, and he ruled until his death on 8 February 1725.

The Rev. Arthur Pfeiffer was born in Norka in 1897.

He studied theology at the Lutheran Seminary in St. Petersburg (Leningrad).

He served the parish in Yagodnaya Polyana from 1929-1934.

He was arrested in 1935, along with his brother, the Rev. Emil Pfeiffer, and exiled to Alma Ata (current Kazakhstan) whree he was executed by Soviet authorities.

The Rev. Emil Pfeiffer was born in Norka in 1891.

He studied theology at the Lutheran Seminary in St. Petersburg (Leningrad). Following ordination, he taught theological courses in Leningrad along with Bishop Malmgren until 1924.

He served the parish in Norka (along with those in Huck & Beideck) from 1927-1934.

He was arrested in 1935, along with his brother, the Rev. Arthur Pfeiffer, and exiled to Alma Ata (current Kazakhstan) where he was executed by Soviet authorities.

Father Postoll was born 11 October 1753. He died 19 March 1810 in Arzan. He was ordained on 20 July 1772.

He served the Kamenka Parish from March 1803 to 7 December 1807 and the Rohleder Parish from 12 October 1808 to 1 February 1810.

The notorious rebel leader Yemelyan Ivanovich Pugachev was born in 1740 or 1742. In September 1773, he assembled a small band of guerrilla forces in southern Russia. Claiming to be Tsar Peter III (who had been murdured during the coup when Catherine the Great took the throne), Pugachev promised freedom and land to the serfs and other discontented peoples. Assuaged by these promises, his force reached several thousand rather quickly. They captured the city of Orenburg and held it for several months. During 1773 and 1774 his band rampaged throughout the Volga region.