The Great Trek of the Russian Mennonites to Central Asia, 1880-1884, Fred Richard Belk, 1976

The Great Trek of the Russian Mennonites to Central Asia 1680 - 1864 Fred Richard Belk y Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Kitchener, Ontario, in cooperation with Mennonite Historical Society, Goshen, Indiana, is publisher of the series ‘‘Studies in Anabaptist and Mennonite His- tory.” The Society is primarily responsible for the content of the studies, and Herald Press for their publication. The Great Trek of the Russian Mennonites to Central Asia 1880 - 1884 Fred Richard Belk HERALD PRESS Scottdale, Pennsylvania Kitchener, Ontario 1976 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Belk, Fred Richard, 1937- The great trek of the Russian Mennonites to Central Asia, 1880-1884. (Studies in Anabaptist and Mennonite history; 18) Originally presented as the author's thesis, Okla- homa State University. Bibliography: p. Includes index. 1. Mennonites in Russia. I. Title. II. Series. BX8119.R8B44 289.747 75-28340 ISBN 0-8361-1103-6 THE GREAT TREK OF THE RUSSIAN MENNONITES TO CENTRAL ASIA, 1880-1884 Copyright © 1976 by Herald Press, Scottdale, Pa. 15683 Published simultaneously in Canada by Herald Press, Kitchener, Ont. N2G 1A7 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 75-28340 International Standard Book Number: 0-8361-1103-6 Printed in the United States of America Design by Alice B. Shetler INTRODUCTION In this volume we have before us for the first time a detailed account of the migration of 600 Mennonites from their settlements in South Russia and the Volga River region to Asiatic Russia. The movement began in 1880 under the leadership of Claas Epp, Jr., and forms a part of the epic story of Mennonite migrations across the face of the earth ‘for conscience’ sake’ since their origin in six- teenth-century Anabaptism. The author tells the story with skill and empathy, basing his narrative on careful research and countless documents which have never been used before. But this book is more than simply another chapter in the geography of Mennonite experience. It is a unique contribution to our understanding of the long history of millennialism and the church in the wilderness. The Great Trek had its roots in Epp’s fascination with the writings of J. H. Jung-Stilling (1740-1817), a German physician and friend of Goethe, particularly his book Das Heimweh. Based on the books of Daniel and Revelation, especially 12:6 of the latter (“and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God. . .’’), Jung-Stilling, and then Epp, taught that the ultimate place of refuge would be in the East. Many took this to be Russia, while Epp’s vision led him to the very borders of China. In His providence God had provided just enough time for the faithful to reach that refuge before the Antichrist would break forth. The migration of 18,000 Mennonites from Russia to America at that time was obviously going in the wrong direction a