The Volga Valley lies about 450 miles southeast of Moscow, on either side of the Volga River. Saratov was the major Russian city in the area. The landscape on either side of the Volga River was vastly different.

On the west side (left) of the river, the banks rose steeply to a wooded range of hills travesed by deep gorges. The whole area was covered with tall grass and bushes. This area was called the Bergseite, meaning hillside in German. The area on this side settled by the German colonists began about 30 miles south of Saratov and stretched south nearly to Kamyshin. Only ten of the villages were on or near the Volga River. The others were some distance West, along smaller rivers whose waters flowed westward into the Don. One village, Yagodnaya Polyana was initially all by itself about 40 miles northwest of Saratov. A few years later in 1772, another village, Pobotschnaya was established nearby. Of the 104 original mother colonies, 44 were on the westside (Bergseite). This area corresponded to the Sartov province. Occasionally our ancestors would list the name of the province, either Saratov or Samara on their paperwork as their home instead of the name of their village.

On the East side of the Volga River stretched a low level grassy plain, sloping gently towards the river and crossed here and there by small sluggish tributaries. This side was called the Wiesenseite in German, meaning meadowside. The main area of settlement began about 20 miles upstream from Saratov and stretched northeastward along the Volga and easward along both the Great and the Little Karman. The other villages were in a group farther south, along the Volga banks about 50 miles downstream. 66 mother colonies were established on the Wiesenseite. The East side of the river corresponded to the Samara province.

The majority of the nearly 70 daughter colonies were established on the Wiesenseite, east and southeast of the mother colonies. Just a dozen daughter colonies were established on the Bergseite, south of the mother colonies.