The village of Brienne was founded by families originally from the Royal Prussian District of Bromberg. They arrived in the newly-formed Polish Duchy of Warsaw in 1807 and finally moving on to Russia. The families spent 2 years in the nearby Moldavian village of Kauschani.
The colony of Brienne, under the supervision of the Kloestitz district office in the province of Bessarabia, and belonging to the Arcis parochial district, was founded in the year 1816.
ARRIVAL The first inhabitants of this colony arrived in Russia in the years 1814 and 1815, but since most of them were without means, they had to stay in Moldau(Moldova), in quarters provided by the government among local inhabitants until the time of their actual settlement at the places of their destination. Only in the specified year of 1816, with permission from the higher authorities, could they truly settle in the present locality.
FOUNDING Upon arrival at their assigned steppe, one of the first concerns of the head of each household was to provide a shelter against storm and weather. This consisted of a temporary, so-called "earth hut," that even continued to be the home of some of the settlers for several years. Of these sod huts, some still stand as a monument to earlier times. In the following years, 1817 and 1818, some simple houses were built in pounded clay, and some of stone, depending on an inhabitant's wealth and ability.
LOCATION Brienne was founded in the so-called Kujelnik(Kogelnik) valley on the southern side of the river, which is the border between the colony of Brienne and the colony of Alt-Arcis. This river unites at the edge of the colony/settlement with the Tschaga River, arriving from Alt-Arcis. Brienne is 130 werst(1 werst = 1.2 km) south of the capital of Kischenew(Kishinev) and 70 werst (1 werst = 1.2 km) west of the district town of Ackerman(sometimes spelled Akkerman or Ackerman).
........ORIGIN OF THE COLONY NAME The first name of the colony was Peterswunsch(literally "Peter's wish), given by the then ruling member of the Office, President Muller. After that, in the numerical order of identifying the colonies, it was called No. 15, or The Fifteenth. In the year 1819, upon instruction of General Bachmet, it got the name of Brienne, as it is still called.
NUMBER OF FAMILIES AND ORIGIN OF THE SETTLERS In this colony, 84 families were originally settled, all of which came from the royal Kingdom of Prussia, district of Bromberg, and who first emigrated to Poland and from there to Russia.
