ETHNIC GERMANS IN RUSSIA
Light in the Darkness
On August 28, 1941 a formal Decree of Banishment was issued which abolished the Autonomous Socialistic Soviet Republic of the Volga Germans. In September of 1955, the Soviet Union issued the first decree that revealed publicly the whereabouts of and granted amnesty to more than a million surviving Volga Germans. Upon release, the Volga Germans were asked to sign paperwork agreeing to never return to their original settlements. Many Volga-Germans have tried to return to the cities from which they were banished only to find hostility and despair. For them, their faith in a loving God continues to be their only "Light in the Darkness."
Siberian Lutheran Mission Society
The Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church (SELC) members are Russians seeking an answer to the challenges and problems in their lives. These are people who know the mission of the Church -- a mission which begins and finds its conclusion in the Word and Sacraments properly administered.
Ethnic German in Russia
History, Memories, and Contemporary Life
Russlanddeutsche Wolga 2 - Lied mit Balalaika
Die Geschichte der Russlanddeutsche - Part 1
Die Geschichte der Russlanddeutsche - Part 2
Germans from Russia Heritage Collection
North Dakota State University Library
NDSU Library, Fargo, ND
Descendants of German-speaking people residing in Russia...
The Center for Volga German Studies at Concordia University
Portland, Oregon
Explore our heritage!