' s ▁Russian ▁emp ire . ▁They ▁called ▁the ▁new ▁village ▁" H al bst adt ". ▁Because ▁of ▁host ile ▁national ▁policies ▁toward ▁Germ ans ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁Soviet ▁Union , ▁almost ▁no ▁eth nic ▁Germ ans ▁are ▁left ▁in ▁the ▁region . ▁During ▁the ▁Soviet ▁rule , ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁people ▁lost ▁all ▁their ▁poss essions , ▁and ▁all ▁Germ ans ▁were ▁re located ▁to ▁the ▁remote ▁parts ▁of ▁Kaz akh stan . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 th ▁anni versary ▁of ▁Mol och ansk / H al bst adt ▁was ▁celebrated ▁with ▁world wide ▁distinguished ▁guests ▁in ▁attend ance . ▁Canada ' s ▁amb assador ▁to ▁Ukraine ▁was ▁present ▁at ▁this ▁g ala ▁event . ▁ ▁M enn on ites ▁had ▁earlier , ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 9 , ▁founded ▁the ▁Ch ort itza ▁Col ony ▁at ▁the ▁inv itation ▁of ▁Catherine ▁the ▁Great . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁successful ▁found ing ▁of ▁Ch ort itza ▁that ▁encourag ed ▁expansion ▁into ▁the ▁Mol och na ▁River ▁region . ▁By ▁ 1 8 5 0 , ▁there ▁were ▁over ▁ 5 0 ▁M enn on ite ▁villages ▁south ▁and ▁east ▁of ▁Mol och ansk / H al bst adt . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁ ▁Mol ot sch na ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁▁ ▁The ▁murder ▁of ▁the ▁Jews ▁of ▁Mol och ansk ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁at ▁Y ad ▁V ash em ▁website . ▁ ▁Category : 1