TO: Part One Early Russian Mennonite History
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Excerpts from "Mennonite Exodus" by Frank H. Epp, published 1962 for Canadian Mennonite Relief and Immigration Council by D.W. Friesen & Sons Ltd., Altona, Manitoba.
p. 17
After overcoming the initial hardships and handicaps the Mennonite colonies advanced rapidly. For the first time since their origin in the Netherlands they were able to develop in full freedom. They were tax exempt for ten years and had rich land resourcers at their disoposal. To meet its foreign financial commitment Russia was compelled to export large quantities fo grain. The Mennonite colonies flourished as they supplied the domestic and foreign demands for the superior winter wheat.
To improve their stock they secured purebred horses, cattle, and sheep at great expense. The agricultural genius, Johann Cornies (1789-1848), directed the Agricultural Association, which became an all-inclusive department economics and culture for the colonies. The flour-milling industry was almost entirely in the hands of the Mennonites. Besides the grist mill in every village, they owned 70 large steam-powered mills. The modern mill of J.J. Siemens, who won a gold medal for the quality of his flour at the world fair in Paris, had a capacity of 3,300 bushels daily.
Other industrial development paralleled the advances in agriculture and generally gave the appearance of a self-sufficient capitalistic economy. The first Mennonite manufacturer was Peter Heinrich Lepp of Chortitza, who sold the first threshing machine in 1853. By 1914 more than six percent of the total production of agricultural machinery in Russia was produced in Mennonite factories. Some of these turned out as many as 15,000 mowers and 10,000 plows a year. Thirty-eight factories produced brick and tile, the main building materials in the colonies. Eight major industrial firms had a working force of 1,744 and total annual production of more than three million rubles.
The problem of insufficient land for the rapidly growing colonies caused considerable tension already in the first half of the nineteenth century. Population had doubled in 25 years. Division of the original plots of land was forbidden. The large areas of communal lands surrounding the villages and intended for expansion were guarded selfishly by village officials. Many villagers remained without property and provided cheap labor for their wealthier neighbors. By 1850 about two-thirds of the Mennonite population was in reality a landless proletariat, paralleling to a degree the situation in Russia generally, where millions of peasants and serfs were chafing under the burdens of the landed nobility.
Fortunately, through pressure from the imperial government and the united effort of lthe underpriviledged, a plan was adopted whereby the income of the communal land was used to buy more land for new settlements. Daughter colonies were established. By 1914 about 50 new settlements had been founded by the original four mother colonies, possessing altogether about 365 villages and over four million acres of land. The new colonies were established near the original ones, as in the Crimea and in the Caucasus, and as far away as Siberia and Turkestan.
Increase in land ownership was also due to the purchase of large estates outside of the main settlements by individual farmers. The 384 large estate owners had holdings of many acres with approximate valuations of 200,000 rubles each. Some of the wealthiest farmers owned up to 20,000 acres of fertile farm land. The largest ranch, belonging to a single owner, comprised 50,000 acres. The large estates covered three-tenths of the land owned by Mennonites in Russia.
No. Settlement Founded Location No. of Villages 1. Molotschna 1804 Ukraine 58 2. Chortitza 1789 Ukraine 18 3. Memrik 1884 Ukraine 10 4. Zagradovka 1871 Ukraine 17 5. Jasykovo 1868 Ukraine 10 6. Terek 1901* Caucasus 17 7. Old Samara 1861 Middle Volga 10 8. New Samara 1891 Middle Volga 12 9. Trakt 1851 Middle Volga 10 10. Orenburg 1893 Middle Volga (W. of Urals) 21 11. Crimea 1860 Crimean Peninsula 35 12. Omsk 1900 Siberia 58 13. Slavgorod & Bernaul 1907 Siberia 51 14. Pavlodar 1907** Siberia 16 * Birthplace of Anna Jacob Peters Thiessen September 14, 1906 ** Home of Gerhard G. Thiessen (Jacob Gerhard Thiessen's father) in 1930 When Jacob Gerhard and Anna Thiessen arrived in the U.S.TOP
Mia Reimer DeFehr was born in 1908 in the Mennonite Brethren settlement in the Kuban region of the Caucasus in Southern Russia. The settlement was then at the height of its economic, educational and cultural development. While this story is about Mia, something must be said about the unique Russian village settlement in which she grew up.
Large holdings of 176 acres, called "complete farms" (Vollwirtschaften) as well as smaller ones, made up two sister villages. The first, referred to as the Upper Village, was situated on a hill. The wide main street led down the hill directly into the Lower Village. Originally, in 1863, the Upper Village had been named Wohldemfuerst ("Hail to the Prince") in honor of the Caucasian Viceroy, Prince Michail Nikolajewitch, by whose gracious permission these crown lands were granted to the Mennonite settlers. In 1890 this name was changed to the Russian, 'Welikoknjaschkoye'. The Lower Village was named Alexanderfeld, for Czar Alexander II. It too was changed to Russian, 'Alexandrodar'. Though Russian became the official language, German remained the language most used by the Mennonites.
[FAMILY NOTE: Jacob Gerhardt Thiessen and his twin brother, Isaac Gerhardt, were born in Wohldemfuerst Jan. 1, 1904.]
The small settlement prospered and many fine, stately homes of brick told of hard work and growing wealth among the Mennonites. By 1904 the poplulation of the settlement had risen to two thousand, of which fifteen hundred were Mennonites, most of them Mennonite Brethren. Large fields of grain, vineyards, orchards, churches, schools, office buildings, a cheese factory, a hospital, a music hall - all had sprung up from an area which only forty or forty-five years ago was virgin soil, a part of the Russian steppes. The settlement could not contain the growth and some fifteen landowners had gradually acquired estates outside, but not too far from it. ..........The 'Brethren' had broken away from the main body of the Mennonite Church (hereafter referred to as the General Conference Church) in the Molotschna area in 1860. This spiritual break, reinforced by the lack of available land in that area, led many Brethren to look for new settlements elsewhere in Russia. New land grants were sought, and repeated trips were made to administrative centers like St. Petersburg and Tiflis in an effort to obtain these grants.
Johann Claasen of Libenau, Molotschna, was appointed by the Brethren as their representative to government officials. He presented the social and economic conditions of his group, their spiritual difficulties, and their very real need for gifted crown land. Finally in 1862 they were promised a grant of sixty-five hundred Desjatines to be set aside for a hundred families on the left shores of the Kuban River in the Caucasus. After much dialogue Johann Claasen found only sixty-five families willing to make the move.
The great move was effected in the fall of 1863 with horses and wagons. It was an eight hundred kilometer journey and required ten to fifteen days of exhausting travel. Some of the slower groups in the trek were caught in snowy and rainy weather resulting in miserably muddy roads which multiplied travelling difficulties. Nights were extremely cold and shelter difficult to find.
Unexpected contingencies awaited the weary travelers upon arrival in the Kuban area. Though the soil later proved rich and fertile, the virgin steppes were difficult for the few horses of the settlers to break with ploughs. The rivers appeared more turbulent than those they were familiar with, and the people native to these parts seemed uncouth and lawless. The water, good enough for cattle and irrigation, was bitter and unpalatable for human consumption. For years the settlers therefore hauled their water from the Kuban River. Until the spring of 1867 most of them lived in crude earthen huts topped with straw roofs.
Early crop failures, unsuccessful dairy experiments, and marauding wolves tested the settlers' patience and faith. Sheep farming proved excellent, since the wool could be sold or used for spinning and made into clothes. The hides made up into warm jackets, pants and caps. Eventually dairy farming became profitable when a Co-op system was instituted with the building of a cheese factory. However, a devastating disease among the cattle forced some of the settlers to diversify into the cultivation of vineyards. This was encouraged by the government whch offered extra land for this purpose. This arm of farmling proved successful for quite some time until rust and disease killed off the vines. By 1929 most vineyards had once again been planted into grain fields. .......
Much of the commerce was handled by the Co-op by 1890. The Credit Union was established in 1906. Windmills and watermills, harnessing energy from the Kuban River, and grist mills, operated by means of a privately owned steam engine, were built. Factories for manufacturing agricultural machinery were established to meet the needs of these agronomically-oriented people.
Elementary schools had been organized very early in both villages. A Progressive or Continuation School was added in 1881. For higher education the young people were sent to Halbstadt, in the Molotschna, or5 to Moscow.
To foster the Mennonites' intrinsic love of music the settlers formed a music association, with particular emphasis on singing. A large music hall was built between the two villages. This also served as a receptlion hall for weddings. While music was fostered, dancing to it was forbidden.
The Mennonite Church in the Kuban benefitted from the influence of the Templers, Adventists, Lutherans, Catholics, and Russian Orthodox believers in the area. All lived in harmony with each other. The Mennonites strove to be a witness to their faith while being careful not to be accused of proselytizing.
On p. 31of MIA we find this description of the village in 1911. The village of Wohldemfuerst had a population of about two thousand at that time. The fine, wide main street about two kilometers in length, had long ago been planted with stately poplar trees. On each side of the street were the homes and properties of the villagers. Each property was fronted with a large ornamental garden and a picket fence. Most homes had barns attached to them.
The smaller properties, called quarter properties, were found on the side streets. One of these streets had been nicknamed "Street of Dogs" by the children because of the many dogs there. The Thiessen factory, manufacturing farm implements, was also on a side street, along with the houses of the workers and several barrack-like buildings.
Here were found the pharmacy and Tante Mascha's little general store. Another side street was called the "Mill Street" because that was where the grist mill had been built. In the vicinity was the large Co-op.
The school was large enough for four hundred children. Mia remembered fondly her Kindergarten days with Frieda Meinhard, a teacher she adored. A teacherage had been built on the yard. Behind this was a meadow, a playground for the children, and an avenue of ash trees leading to a quiet cemetery.
The Mennonite Brethren Church was situated at the other end of the village. A small jailhouse nearby was the terror of little Mia who was afraid to cross the yard of that property. Not far away was the watering place for the cattle of the village. And then the little hill, a favorite gathering place and playground for the children, which in early spring was thickly covered with crocuses and in summer with forget-me-nots.
Beautifully situated on a hill between Wohldemfuerst and Alexanderfeld was the Music Hall or "Kapelle." This was one of the largest buildings in the villages, made of brick and built with fine large windows. The General Conference congregation had built a beautiful white church in the vicinity. The meadows surrounding these two buildings were the playground for the children of both villages and many happy hours were spent there.
Walking down the hill from Wohldemfuerst one arrived at the Lower Village or Alexanderfeld. This was arranged much like the Upper Village with its various properties. From the hilltop one saw the bank building at the beginning of the village. Later during the Revolution this building was used as a Continuation School and a store.
[p. 32-34 Gives a description of a private home and mentions the variety of plants growing there, showing the lushness of the area.] A row of chestnut and linden trees, alternately planted, stood behind the neat picket fence dividing the property from the main street. The front garden was attractively planted with ornamental shrubs, various kinds of flower plots and many fruit trees such as pears, apples, peaches, plums, apricots, cherries and sickle pears. Twenty varieties of roses as well as tulips, lillies, narcissi and begonias grew in profusion, with a riot of colour. Tiny border flowers lined the many pathways.
Behind the house was a large vegetable garden surrounded by a hedge. Back of this flourished a vineyard of purple and white grapes as well as strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries and currants. Lining all this was a small forest of poplar and walnut trees. Benches had been placed there for rest and pleasure. An avenue of ash trees led to the old cherry orchard.
Many a fine meal came out of that kithchen with its huge brick stove and oven.
Adjoining the kitchen was the tall brick barn, white washed on the inside, its rafters painted a bright red. Jacob Reimer kept twenty-four purebred horses in his barn. A door led to the section for the cows and calves.
Also built of brick were the rest of the buildings on (sic) the yard; the chicken house, the pig barn, a large granary for the storage of grain and implements, and the old garden house where the family had lived earlier. Here it was that the cooking was done for some seventy workers during harvest days. The men were served their meals on tables set under a large walnut tree. The finest bread was baked out of doors in a special oven in order that the family dwelling be kept cool in summer. The old house was the place where the fruit was stored and where the hens were set to hatch their quota of eggs. The yard, a marvelous grassy playground for the children, was equipped with swings and a sandbox.
Schools. p. 19 of "Mennonite Exodus." The school system developed by the Mennonites was another remarkable achievement. At the time of settlement there were no schools whatsoever in that part of Russia. The Mennonites had the freedom and felt the obligation to provide strong schools. The Christian School Association was founded as early as 1820 to promote education. In 1843 the management and supervision of the educational system was transferred to the Agricultural Association, headed by Cornies. Teachers' conventions were introduced in 1850.
Educational growth paralleled the economic prosperity especially after 1870. In 1914 the school system was flourishing. At that time the Russsian Mennonite settlements had 400 elementary schools, 13 high or central schools, four girls' schools, two teachers' colleges, two four-year trade schools and one eight-year business college (both trade and business schools required three languages, Russian, German, and French or English), one school for the deaf and dumb, one deaconess institution, and one Bible school. All institutions were supported by Mennonite funds. Many of the teachers were graduates of universities in Russia, Switzerland, or Germany. About 250 students were attending higher Russian institutions of learning and 50 were in seminaries and universities abroad.
[FAMILY NOTE: Jacob Peters, Anna Jacob Peters Thiessen's father, was a village school teacher who went to the North Pole each summer to teach and minister to the Eskimos.]
p.25 "Mennonite Exodus." In 1866 the Russian officials first began to exert pressure to have the Russian language taught in the schools. This was difficult at first. Over half of the teachers were not familiar with the Russian even though some progressive ones had taught the language as early as 1830. After 1881, when the tsars embarked on a russification policy with great intensity, Mennonite schools were placed under the state Department of Public Instruction.
In the 1890s all subjects, except religion, German, and church music, had to be taught in the Russian language. This was never fully realized, but in differentiation from the rest of the curriculum, Deutsch und Religion became twin educational concepts in the Russian Mennonite mind. The census of 1879 reveals why the russification policy hit the Mennonites so hard. After one century, less than one percent (486) of all Mennonites in Russia considered themselves primarily as Russian-speaking.
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