Many stoves along German lines in Russia were decorated with colorful tiles depicting Old Testament characters or instructive stories.
Now fireplaces can be found with floral ornamental tiles.

This fireplace is German/ Russian architecture & masonry work in an upper class household.

These were the first true German-Russian colonies in Russia. Beginning in 1762, German agricultural colonies were established in the Volga, Ukraine, Crimea, and Caucas areas. German settlers continued to buy land in southern Russia and on the Volga until 1914. In the 1880’s, the industrial growth of Russian Poland led to a large influx of German industrial workers into the Poland and Volhynia areas. The Volga-German Republic was established in 1918, and at the time, was home to half a million Germans. (http://www.rollintl.com/roll/grsettle.htm)

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