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

iving economy entirely upon the principle of mutual aid.”! This principle was much in evidence in the early years of the founding of both Chortitza in 1789, and Molotschna in 1803-04. The original settlers of the Chortitza colony had a very difficult time in the early years. Disease and death took a heavy toll; government aid and building materials were slow in arriving, and dissatisfaction with their own leaders engendered a spirit of disunity. But by the turn of the century some 400 families had established 15 villages and were farming approximately 89,000 acres of land. Soon it became obvious that crown land allotments of 175 acres per family would not be sufficient to meet the growing needs of the colony. The govern- ment of the czar, therefore, made a large land purchase for coloniza- tion purposes. But the requirements of an expanding colony soon made new villages a necessity. The government again responded in 1836, and another colony was settled at Mariupol.” As the population grew, new families could settle on this land.” The Molotschna colony, on the other hand, was an effort on the part of the Russian government to establish an experimental agri- cultural community. It was to serve as a model to the surrounding population in matters of grain farming, stock raising, horticulture, vin- iculture, and in the development of industries. It was situated about 75 miles southeast of Chortitza, and its settlers were generally more prosperous than those in the Old Colony. A good third of them were well-to-do, or even rich.*> By 1840, 11,381 persons lived in the 45 villages of the Molotschna colony. This colony consisted of 344,000 acres, making it the largest Mennonite colony in Russia.”° Another colony developed because the Prussian constitution of 1850 abolished exemption from compulsory military service on religious grounds. Consequently, a considerable number of Mennonites from that country petitioned the Russian government to permit them to Mobtsomaer Nennoniten Bearke Aafssiadt u.Gnaderfela. Goun. Taurten | Nene en Shelewete/e Raathaung con Aart Baul, Miiacher im shire ; Ofrikowka _, Fevfental Nar ere. i Aaferage der Dastsctan Mrvreniten Af. Peters eK, ari Se as = Avorn Maffab: ~ Aon axis : Ng Sy homen'e' fax ; — RQpanterg! — fr one Perr eeniyn ety ee ae ‘fowe Semonowhe ne Co ‘ > ogran i a DIIOA JY} 03 DINIS1A 342 WOST Beg: Schvbrak ere i Gnadenfeld fonteniusfeld _ — _ a a _ 5 ae ae A/exancern wo ens oh" < Bs me ern an at recersh by f he amr o Brenenzee! we - ha 5 a . a | ea PP terene i , we gsc SE pg a &rkierung land ¢ Portege einen (sachs —me foe eee Renrher —— Fyerdan 6E The Molotschna Colony was formed in 1803, fifty miles east of Chortitza. 40 The Great Trek of the Russian Mennonites settle in Russia. On November 19, 1851, permission was granted to 100 families to come into the country under substantially the same condition