Perilous Journey: The Mennonite Brethren in Russia 1860-1910, John B. Toews, 1988

PERILOUS JOURNEY THE MENNONITE BRETHREN IN RUSSIA 1860-1910 JOHN B. TOEWS PERSPECTIVES on MENNONITE LIFE and THOUGHT PERILOUS JOURNEY THE MENNONITE BRETHREN IN RUSSIA 1860-1910 PERSPECTIVES onMENNONITE LIFE and THOUGHT "Perspectives on Mennonite Life and Thought" is a series jointly published between Kindred Press, the Historical Commission of the General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches and the Centers for Mennonite Brethren Studies of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Fresno, California and Hillsboro, Kansas.* 1. Paul Toews, ed., Pilgrims and Strangers: Essays in Mennonite Brethren History (1977) 2. Abraham Friesen, ed., P. M. Friesen and His History: Understanding Mennonite Brethren Beginnings (1979) 3. David Ewert, ed., Called to Teach (1979) 4. Heinrich Wolk and Gerhard Wolk, Die Mennoniten Brudergemeinde in Russland, 1925-1980; Ein Beitrag zur Ceschichte (1981) 5. John B. Toews, Perilous Journey: The Mennonite Brethren in Russia, 1860-1910 (1988) * Volumes 1-4 were published by the Center for Mennonite Brethren Studies (Fresno) PERSPECTIVES onMENNONITE LIFE and THOUGHT PERILOUS JOURNEY THE MENNONITE BRETHREN IN RUSSIA 1860-1910 JOHN B. TOEWS Kindred Press Winnipeg, MB Canada and Hillsboro, KS USA. PERILOUS JOURNEY The Mennonite Brethren in Russia, 1860-1910 Copyright © 1988 by the Centers for Mennonite Brethren Studies. Fresno. CA: Winnipeg. MB; and Hillsboro. KS. All rights reserved. With the exception of brief excerpts for reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Published simultaneously by Kindred Press, Winnipeg, MB R2L 2E5 and Kindred Press. Hillsboro. KS 67063 Cover design by Sleeping Tiger Artworks, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Printed in Canada by Fraser Valley Custom Printers Inc., Chilliwack, B.C. International Standard Book Number: 0-919797-78-4 PREFACE The history of any movement is always complex and never simple. At best its dynamic can be only partially understood. If information abounds we can describe its activities and actions, but even then it is difficult to comprehend its "inner" values and aspirations, to perceive its "heart throb." Past human experience is not easily encapsuled by formulas, typologies or theories which propose simplistic explanations to complex situations. Yet the temptation to bring order to a chaotic sequence of events or pronounce a profound verdict on the collective accomplishments of a group is overwhelming. Historical judgements are tricky. It is best to tread softly and err on the side of caution. The Mennonite Brethren living in the Russia of the 1860s and 1870s can only be understood in the context of the political, social and religious world in which they lived and the circumstances associated with its ongoing transformation. The surviving records, though far from complete, certainly allow a reconstruction of the major even