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

nd a victory for Satan. The church in the wilderness has been a strong and fascinating motif in all Christian history and even earlier in Judaism. Even as the people of Israel needed to experience the wilderness of the Sinai desert to be tested and purified before they entered the Promised Land (Deut. 8:2), so wilderness meant refuge, purification, judgment (Num. 14), hope (Hos. 2:14, 15) for countless ascetics, monks, and renewal movements from apostolic times to the present. The wilderness experience was central to John Bunyan’s vision in Pilgrim's Progress, and in Epp’s own era it was central to the nineteenth- century Adventist, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and other millenarian move- ments in America. Undercurrents of this wilderness motif may be more present in the history of Mennonite migrations than has been recognized to date. The Mennonite Historical Society is happy to see this volume included in its series of Studies in Anabaptist and Mennonite His- tory. It presents both the story of a significant episode in Russian Mennonite history and a case study in the timeless search of the peo- ple of God for the kingdom of which the Scriptures speak and where their souls can be at rest. The granting of a publication subsidy by Mr. John Penner is gratefully acknowledged, as is the editorial help of Mrs. Elizabeth Bender of Goshen. Cornelius J. Dyck AUTHOR’S PREFACE _. This work was first presented as a doctoral dissertation at Oklahoma State University under the title ““The Great Trek of the Russian Mennonites to Central Asia, 1880-84.”’ It was written under the direction of Dr. Douglas Hale of that university and owes much to his wise advice and scholarly encouragement. Others who made valuable suggestions on parts of the original manuscript or its revi- sion include Dr. Cornelius Krahn, Dr. Cornelius J. Dyck, and Mr. John F. Schmidt. The fine staff of the Mennonite Historical Library and Archives at Bethel College, North Newton, Kansas, were most helpful in granting the use of pertinent archival material needed to construct this work. Their technical assistance, especially on the part of the director, Dr. Cornelius Krahn, was invaluable. My wife and chil- dren gave excellent encouragement and showed great patience dur- ing the research and writing of this study. Fred R. Belk Sterling College Sterling, Kansas January 21, 1975 CONTENTS Introduction by Cornelius ]. Dyck ................. 9 Author § Preface: s:< 60 <¢- 5.0 Sa see ed Ae Re OP a BS 11 List of Maps, Illustrations, and Photographs ........... 18 A Note on Usage... 1... 2... 0. 2 ee 20 . MENNONITE BACKGROUNDS Introduction... 2... 0... 21 Historical Perspectives... ................ 00000 21 Theological Outlook... 22... 0.2 ee 26 Political Ideas... 29 . FROM THE VISTULA TO THE VOLGA Vistula: Delta: 35.2 13.9 og pease ote ee big aos phe aa 30 Toleration and Oppression ................. 0000. 34 To the Steppes of the Ukrain