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

party was anxious to settle at their new home in the city. Arriving at Tashkent on December 2, they learned that their newly pre- pared dwellings would be in the Russian Exhibition Area of the mar- ketplace."* The process of getting acquainted in their new cultural surroundings would prove most interesting. 9 TROUBLE AND DISPERSION OF THE BRETHREN By December 1880 some 400 Mennonites had arrived in Turkestan. Most of the first two wagon trains from the Trakt resided in Kaplan Bek, but the people of the Molotschna train decided to live in Tash- kent, where there were more opportunities for housing and jobs. Within a year both of these groups would undergo disillusionment that would end in dispersion. Getting Acquainted In Kaplan Bek, a school and church were immediately built under the leadership of Wilhelm Penner and Franz Bartsch. These two ministers wanted the people to keep busy; when they were not improving their housing situation, many services and prayer meetings were held. When the dwellings were completely renovated to accommo- date 22 families, they found they still lived in close quarters. This gave them many opportunities to practice the brotherly love they said they believed in. In fact, every Sunday, the evening meal was held in common — called the ‘‘love feast.’ At these meals they dis- cussed Bible passages and letters from the Trakt, sang hymns, and had devotions. All of the families enjoyed these sharing experiences and sincerely believed it was God's will for them to be in Kaplan Bek.' Immediately upon the arrival of the second train in Kaplan Bek, Wilhelm Penner, of the first group, and wagon master Heinrich Jantzen Trouble and Dispersion of the Brethren 105 went to see the governor-general about land. Although nothing of significance was decided, they were assured they did not have to worry about taxes or the draft for fifteen years. This made all the Trakt Mennonites feel that this end result made the trip and its hard- ships worthwhile.? The Peters’ wagon train, after a brief stay in Kaplan Bek, moved to the city of Tashkent and their new home. Tashkent was a twin city, with a Russian and native Sart section. The first Mennonite homes lay outside the marketplace near the Russian Exhibition Ground, a noisy square full of bustling crowds and featuring even a shooting gallery. One of the dwellings assigned them was a com- pound surrounded by a high cement wall which had once served as a military barracks. It had no windows; its huge gate was locked and there were only a few small doors called “‘needle’s eyes’ because camels and humans had to crouch to go through them. There was a pond in the center of the yard and there were shade trees and drinking water provided. About twenty families settled there. Nearby were the shops of sugar and syrup makers; the children were de- lighted by the proximity of the stores. Not far away was the Chirchik River; its steep bank