Shtatsky, Max (1987-2024)
Max Shtatsky: Ukrainian historian and research scientist for the Khortytsia National Reserve in Zaporizhia, born 31 August 1987 in Zaporizhia, Ukraine to Oleksandr and Tetiana Shtatsky, married to Daria in 2015 and who was the father of a daughter, Vasilisa. In 2023 he joined the Ukrainian army after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Max Shtatsky was killed in action near the Donbass area (Ukraine) on 12 February 2024.
During his childhood Max lived in Upper Chortitza, a suburb of Zaporizhia, Ukraine. This suburb was part of the former Mennonite village of Chortitza and one of the first villages established by Mennonite settlers in 1789.
After completing high school in 2005, Max attended and graduated from the Zaporizhian National University with a degree in history. In 2010, he was hired by the Khortytsia National Reserve in Zaporozhia.
In 2011, after attaining the position of research scientist, Max began conducting research on the history of the former Mennonite colonists of Chortitza. His interest in researching Mennonite history was cultivated during his childhood. Listening to stories from residents in his neighbourhood, he learned that in the past Upper Chortitza was home to a group of colonists that spoke German and had traditions that were foreign to him.
Later in life it became apparent to him that the Mennonites had made a significant contribution to Ukrainian culture, life and agriculture. His childhood curiosity led him to a career path of studying and resurrecting the history of the Mennonites in Ukraine.
In July of 2019, after many years of planning and preparation, Max began the excavation of an abandoned building in Upper Chortitza. The project was initiated in response to a well-known rumour that the building foundation contained gravestones from the former Chortitza Mennonite church cemetery. The cemetery had been destroyed by Soviet authorities in the late 1930s.
After a few months of work, the excavation uncovered over 100 gravestones and pieces of gravestones belonging to Mennonites of the Chortitza church. The excavated stones were later transported and stored at a Khortytsia National Reserve compound. In 2020-2021 Max organized the construction of a memorial located on Khortitsa Island that contained 15 restored gravestones. The memorial was completed in June of 2021.
In June of 2020 Max embarked on another Mennonite gravestone project that involved Jabob Hoeppner. During his research, Max became aware that in 1973 the Jacob Hoeppner memorial monument, along with two Hoeppner headstones, had been purchased and taken to Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada, and put on display at the Mennonite Heritage Village. Further research by Max Shtatsky revealed that the Hoeppner gravesite had been abandoned with no markers to identify its location. Determined to resurrect the legacy of delegate Jacob Hoeppner, he embarked on a second gravestone project.
During the summer months of 2020, Max and a few other historians located the abandoned gravesite and the base of the former monument. After the area was cleared of underbrush and debris two replica headstones were created to mark the graves of Jacob Hoeppner, his wife Sara Dueck, their youngest son Jacob and his wife Anna Brandt, and placed on their original locations. A story board with a narrative on the Jacob Hoeppner was later added to the gravesite.
In 2021 Max became involved in locating pieces of the Mennonite Centennial monument that had once been located in the village of Chortitza. Max located one missing piece of the monument that had been buried in a wooded area approximately 90 meters from its original 1890s location. Two inscriptions were visible on the massive granite square weighing approximately 1.8 tons. They read: Zum Andenken (German: In memoriam)) and первые поселенцы (Russian: first settlers). The stone was transported to a Khortytsia National Reserve (KNR) compound.
With this piece safely stored at the KNR, the search for the remaining sections of the monument was a priority for Max. It was always his intention to continue the search for the remaining pieces. Sadly, his tragic death cut short the life of this young Ukrainian historian and the further contributions he could have made to the understanding of the Mennonite experience in Ukraine.
Bibliography
Toews, Werner. “Khortytsia Cemetery Gravestone Project.” Preservings. No. 39 (2019): 53-60.
Toews, Werner. “Chortitza Gravestone Project in Ukraine 2019-2020.” Heritage Posting. No. 95 (March 2020): 8-10.
Toews, Werner. “More on the Hoeppner stone being placed on his gravesite.” Facebook post in group Mennonite Genealogy and History. 6 November 2020. https://www.facebook.com/groups/MennoniteGenealogyHistory/permalink/3713121515388525
Toews, Werner. “What’s Happening with the Chortitza Headstone Project?” Heritage Posting. No. 98 (February 2021): 5.
Toews, Werner. “The Search for the Mennonite Centennial Monument in Zaporozhzhia, Ukraine”. Mennonite Historian. Vol.47, No. 2. (June 2021): 14-15.
Toews, Werner. “Tribute to Max Shtatsky ‘Honorary Mennonite.’” Preservings. No. 48 (Spring 2024): ??
| Author(s) | Werner Toews |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 28 March 2024 |
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MLA style
Toews, Werner. "Shtatsky, Max (1987-2024)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 28 March 2024. Web. 27 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Shtatsky,_Max_(1987-2024)&oldid=178599.
APA style
Toews, Werner. (28 March 2024). Shtatsky, Max (1987-2024). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 27 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Shtatsky,_Max_(1987-2024)&oldid=178599.
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