Russian Colony Alexandrowka near Potsdam, Germany

The Russian village Alexandrowka, named after Alexander I. of Russia (1777–1825), was founded by Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia (1770–1840) in 1826. It was meant to give a home to a group of twelve Russian singers from an army choir who had remained in Prussia after having initially been taken prisoners during the Napoleonic Wars. The architecture was based on plans made by Carlo Rossi (1775–1849) who had already designed another typically Russian village for the Russian Csars. The village, consisting of twelve buildings, still exists as a museum.

A house in the village Alexandrowka in Potsdam, colour photograph, 2004; photographer: Dishayloo; source: Wikimedia Commons, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alexandrowka-Haus.jpg, public domain.