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

o the new culture. Both the colonists and the government encouraged this policy of separation. The Mennonites, desiring to avoid entanglement with “the world’’ and seeking only peaceful existence with the ‘‘be- lievers,’ did not desire mixture with “‘foreign” ideas. The Ukraine enhanced separateness and clannishness, since the language, culture, and religion of the neighboring Slavs were strange to the immigrants. Separation was further enhanced by their settlement in closed farming communities rather than in cities.'° These colonial communities con- sisted of from 10 to 40 homesteads with the entire village patterned after their Prussian homes in the Vistula Delta near Danzig. In this way, the Mennonites were never obliged to mix with Russians or other indigenous peoples, since the Mennonite settler never started homesteading alone but always with help from fellow colonists.'’ Social Structure Russian immigration law also created separate communities. The Russian Colonial Law of 1842, for example, provided for a tradi- tional form of settlement and community organization familiar to most immigrants.'* The civil authority in each village resided in the Schulz, with the Oberschulz, who was elected by all the villagers, responsible for the total settlement. This council worked with the inspector of the imperial government to provide local laws and ad- ministration. '® Though the colonies became directly responsible to Russian au- thority after 1870, these authorities sought only obedience to law and seldom encroached upon the internal life of the colonies. Village as- semblies held administrative authority; they owned the land and al- lotted holdings of 175 acres to each homestead, while retaining several tracts for communal pasture, churches, mills, and other com- munity establishments. The Schulz presided over the village assembly, similar to the mir of the native Russian village. The activities and relations of the Mennonite settlements with the imperial government were mutually satisfactory to both parties. Aaron Klaus, a high Rus- sian official in the colonial administration, remarked that the govern- ment was pleased with the success of the Mennonite economy and that their institutions should be a ‘‘model for the organization of the 38 The Great Trek of the Russian Mennonites majority of the other colonies of foreigners in the Ukraine.” Seldom have Mennonites been involved in as much concern for mutual aid as they were during their time in Russia. They had a common pasture, a common granary for lean years and poor relief, common flocks, a communal ferry, a common distillery, and com- mon ownership of registered breeding stock. They had money- lending societies, a very sophisticated fire insurance plan, and or- phans’ and widows’ assistance. Not only was mutual aid evidenced in economic and social relations, but also in the political and educational spheres. Mennonites developed their thr