This time, all handicraft and industrial production immediately ceased; the last opportunity to make at least some kind of urgent payment disappeared; There was nothing to contribute either to the Russian treasury, or to the central directorate, or for Russian and foreign trade obligations, and the honest Herrnhuter brothers, from time immemorial accustomed to carefully justifying their obligations, became desperate in the true sense of the word. The question appears: to be or not to be Sarept?
Gerngut decided: to be. Cash benefits were sent again and the director herself entered into an agreement with Sarepta’s foreign creditors to cancel the debts for her, the director, with a guarantee. At the same time, the Russian government issued a loan of 100 thousand rubles, and from voluntary donations in favor of those affected by the fire, Sarepta received 20,000,000 rubles after the fire. Thus the Kolovya was saved again.
This time, the central director of the brotherhood made a second very important transformation of the internal management of the colonies and, among other things, allowed some deviations from the statute in the sense of abolishing various restrictions that limited the industrial activity of the colony; for example, the statute did not particularly approve of competition that could undermine the “private”
crafts, existing as if in the form of a personal monopoly right; The statute directly prohibited the opening of an industrial enterprise similar to it next to an existing one. The abolition of this kind of cessation in favor of allowing free competition freed the company from many constraints and impoverished its well-being in the future; the results of the reforms made themselves felt very quickly: and in the early sixties of the present century, Sarepta not only paid off its debts to the whole treasury, private and direct investment, but also had a fair amount of reserve capital.
*) “Private” were the family brothers of the community who could have a personal ity, being members of the association.
It is true that the branches of industry that were previously the priority of Sarenta, such as, for example, the production of sarpinka, mustard, sarepta balsam, have now become worthy of other, already developed colonies, which are strong competitors of Sarenta in this regard, but still its trade is developing little by little. It is much more a pity for Sarepta, who endured so many adversities and emerged victorious from them, that the Herrnhuter brothers from among the Sareptans ceased to be satisfied with their modest activities and, imbued with the desire for richer profit, left their native nest and even partly severed all ties with it, taking, of course, with them and their capital acquired in Sarentum; this affects the commercial development of Sarepta much more harmfully than any competition from other colonies and cities. The reasons for such a sad phenomenon may need to be sought in the fact that part of the Sareptean youth, whom their fathers sent for training to Saratov, Kazan, etc., returning to their native roof, following the habits that developed in them from the life of the sick city, are no longer satisfied with the quiet, excessively modest life of Sarenta. This life, it is true, is boring in its monotony, and a Russian person would not get along in it, but still it is distinguished by extremely respectable features.
Walk around Sarepta, look around it, admire the beautiful houses, the many tall poplars and shady trees that decorate the city, and you will admire the neatness and order that floats everywhere. No matter where you look, you will see labor, energy and strict discipline everywhere. Among the sultry steppe in which Sarepta grew up, it is like a pleasant oasis and, to tell the truth, despite some innovations, the old traditions of this oasis have not yet fallen. And now a true Sareptian, not only when he is with his own, but also when he is with a stranger, will not say “master,” but will say “take,” and it is truly a pity that there are fewer and fewer such true Sareptians.