Johann's Journey
The Mennonite Emigration from Prussia to Russia

The emigration list of the Molotschna Mennonite Pioneers

The Mennonite settlers traveled over one thousand miles from their homes in West Prussia to the area about 120 werst (80 miles) north of the Black Sea port of Berjansk, where the Molotschna colony was located. The original Molotschna settlers made their journey in small groups of covered wagons. A total of 162 families arrived at the Chortitza Mennonite settlement in 1803 and another 162 families came in 1804.

  
The journey from West Prussia to the Mennonite Colonies was an ordeal to test even the strongest. This undertaking may truly be considered to have been an act of faith on the part of these emigrants. The Chortitza settlers had traveled overland to Riga on the Baltic Sea from where they traveled south on the Dongave River to Dubrovno on the Dneiper where the first group stayed over winter. The next spring they continued on their way, arriving at the location of what was to become the Chortitza colony in June of 1789. This group lacked skills, leadership and financial resources and consequently experienced extreme difficulties during the pioneer years.

In contrast to the earlier Chortitza settlers the Molotschna pioneers made the entire journey from West Prussia to their new homes in Southern Russia by land. This journey of some 1000 miles was an undertaking which took weeks to complete.

One report describes the route as having gone through Ostroblenka, Brest-Litovsk, Kavel, Ostrag in Volynia, Berkitschev, Slatopolie, Elisavegrad to Chortitz. The Molotschna pioneers, traveling over primitive roads in 1803, with wagon loads of possessions and herding their livestock, took an average of 5 to 7 weeks to complete their journey. Others reported that the journey took up to 12 weeks.

One early source adds an interesting detail to the account of the journey. From the time of crossing the Russian border each party of settlers was accompanied from station to station by a soldier familiar with the road, language, and customs of the various parts of Russia to be traversed. The guard served not only for protection and security but also to aid the settlers, who were unacquainted with the language in the lands through which they were traveling, in the efficient and reasonable acquisition of the provisions necessary during the course of the journey. This report considers this to have been a very wise general regulation on the part of the Russian government.

In addition to this sort of protection the Molotschna pioneers also received financial support from the Russian government. Franz Isaac describes this support and some related aspects of the later immigration as follows:

"The first immigrants received 10 Rubles per soul for traveling expenses and a gift of 40 ruble per family for horses and wagon from the government authorities in Grodno. To tide them over from the completion of their journey until the first harvest the received 8 kopeck per day for each soul as money for nourishment. They also received 25 ruble for agricultural implements; for livestock and domestic establishment, 100 ruble; for spring expenses, (for seed) 15 ruble; for fall expenses 5 ruble; and a quantity of lumber which was calculated at 100 ruble per family for the first settlement and at 159 ruble and 34 kopeck per family for the second settlement. The foregoing monies were received as a loan advanced to the settlers which was to be repaid over a 10 year period after the expiration of an initial 10 year period. Because of deaths among the livestock and crop failures this period was extended by five years.

After 1805 the immigrants received loans only according to the measure of their needs. Money was not available for travel expenses and nourishment. After 1828 those who could not pay for their own traveling expenses were not allowed to immigrate. These general regulations had the consequences that many poorer families received the monies to travel as a gift from the Gemeinden (church) in Prussia, as this was still easier than to support these families there. But such families were seldom able to complete such a resettlement. This contributed to a more rapid creation of a proletariat among the Russian Gemeinden which were still weak at the time.

In addition to being required to pay for the costs of the journey, the immigrants were obligated to deposit a security with the Russian Consul in Danzig, which was only returned after the family had arrived in Molotschna. Soon the immigration was completely prohibited as the authorities were also concerned that sufficient land would be available for the future of these families. Approximately 700 families immigrated after 1805. The foregoing statistics as to loan advances, family numbers, etc., have been provided by the Secretary of the Gebietsamtes".

Foreign travelers also provide us with a view and opinion of the Molotschna pioneers.

"They had come with their own wagons, some of them being drawn by from five to seven of their own horses, carrying such beautiful furniture as: chests, closets, chairs, tables, bedsteads made of walnut wood, so that their homes were quite appealing. Many had sold their property (in Prussia) for thirty to forty thousand gilders, and each one could proudly affirm that he had paid his ten percent emigration dues honestly. Sixty-three of the 322 families had not accepted the advance money offered by the Russian government, and what is more, eighty-nine families had each brought from ten to twenty thousand ducats in cash with them with which they now supported their poorer brethren. Many very poor families followed later, partially funded by the Prussian congregations. Among the descendants of these poor emigrants, who often pushed or pulled their own small wagons, many now belong to the wealthiest Mennonites in Russia. In the two (three) years since they had arrived, they were able to finish most of their homes. This, indeed, leaves a very positive impression of their activity, especially if one remembers what is involved in building such homes in this country."

Not every report describes this emigration quite as favourably. The Gemeinde Berichte are a valuable source of information for the early years of the Molotschna Colony. These reports were prepared in 1848 by the Schulz and school teacher of each village at the request of Eugen von Hahn who was the Chief Supervisor of foreign colonies in Russia at the time. The author of the report for the village of Halbstaedt has noted that "the assets of the immigrants consisted mainly of their horses, wagons, and for some livestock. The majority barely had sufficient cash funds to cover the requirements of the journey; which deficiency greatly increased the difficulties of the settlement."

Peter Isaac, the author of Stammbuch Meine Voreltern, states that his grandfather Franz Isaac and his grandmother's parents, Johann Warkentins traveled from West Prussia to Southern Russia by wagon train. He mentions that this wagon train consisted of two wheeled carts which were pulled by a horse. The most necessary belongings were loaded on the wagon and whoever could do so had to walk. Peter Isaac also mentions that his great-grandparents, Johan Warkentins, were quite well-to-do, and that they bought a double farm in the Molotschna village of Blumenort.

A number of the families who later joined the Mennonite Kleine Gemeinde already knew each other in Prussia. Peter Isaac reports that the following families had traveled together in one wagon train. His grandfather Franz Isaac; his grandmother Margaretha Warkentin and her parents the Johann Warkentins; the aged grandfather Isaac Loewen (1787-1873) and his parents the Isaac Loewens; and his oldest uncle by marriage Johan Toews together with his parents the Cornelius Toews' family. These were all prominent Kleine Gemeinde families.

Settling in Molotschna

This group stayed at the Island Camp in the Chortitza settlement for a year. This was a common practice for these emigrant groups as in the meantime the arrangements for settling in the Molotschna colony 60 miles distant could be completed. This practice also continued later as Peter Isaac reports that the Johan Plett family which emigrated from West Prussia in 1828 stayed at the Old Colony for a while as one of their daughters, Helena Plett, died in the village of Schoenwiese where she was working at the time.

Those of the Molotschna pioneers who left Prussia in 1803 arrived at the Chortitza Mennonite colony on the Dneiper River in the fall of 1803. It was too late to commence with the establishment of their own homes in that year and so they over wintered at the Chortitza colony. Here the Molotschna settlers obtained provisions, shelter, and feed for their livestock. They were also able to obtain the benefit of the dearly bought experience of the earlier Chortitzer settlers in terms of methods of building construction and farming practices, all of which helped them to avoid costly mistakes. In turn they were able to pay for these benefits in cash thus providing the stimulus which the Chortitzer settlement so badly needed.

Then in the spring of 1804, after they had been joined by a second group which had just arrived from Prussia, the settlers made their way to the location of their new homeland. The Molotschna settlement itself consisted of 120,000 desjatien (about 320,000 acres) of land which lay on the east bank of the Molotschna River, about 70 miles southeast of the Chortitza Colony. The settlement extended up to the Tokmak River in the north. A short distance to the north of the Tokmak River was the Russian town of Tokmak. To the south the settlement extended to the river Jushanlee. It was along these rivers that the villages of the immigrants were to be built. According to a report of 1806 this land was covered with grass which was a high as a man, through which one could walk only with great effort. Not a tree or a shrub was to be seen on this endless rolling steppe.

Here and there on the plain the settlers could see small groups of black tents made of felt surrounded by grazing livestock. When the settlers approached these settlements over the horizontal steppes they made their first acquaintance with their new neighbours, the Nogaier. Several riders came to greet them. They were wild looking in their strange long robes. In their girdles they carried knives and iron hammers. In their hands they held spears. Curiosity and suspicion was mirrored in their dark eyes. Franz Isaac provides a brief description of the people who were to be the closest neighbours of the new settlers.

"Not a single tree nor shelter was to be found at the new settlement location by the first pioneers, and consequently they had to camp under an open sky until they had prepared themselves a temporary shelter in whatever manner they found possible. The pioneers found that their land complex in many areas was occupied by Nogaier, who in fact did move on but remained adjacent. The Nogaier placed their dwellings, which were in the shape of beehives and covered with felt blankets, onto two wheeled wagons and hauled them to their new place of abode or lodging. (Ackerman, Burkut, etc.). The poorest and most worn out horses of the settlers were purchased for next to nothing by the Nogaier for slaughter, but the best horses were frequently taken directly from the barns or pastures during the night time without any arrangements having been made.

The first settlers were able to purchase the most necessary provisions in the neighbouring Russian village of Tokmak which had been established a number of years earlier. Other neighbours of the settlers were the Dukkobours, a sect which originated with the Greek Orthodox Church. The Dukkobours settled the villages of Bogdanowka, Troitzkaja, Terpenie, and others, which were located on the right bank of the Molotschna River, at the same time as the Mennonites. But because of contrary religious and legal consideration the Dukkobours were exiled to the Caucusus in the year 1841 and their settlements given over to the Russians."

When the first groups of the Molotschna settlers had arrived at the Chortitz Colony in 1803 they immediately elected Klaas Wiens, a well-to-do settler, as their first Oberschulz. Using their temporary homes as a base they then selected the locations where their first villages were to be built. Nine villages were established in 1804. These were Halbstaedt, Muntau, Schoenau, Fischau, Lindenau, Lichtenau, Blumstein, Munsterberg, and Altonau. Once the locations had been chosen the various groups of villagers selected the site of their village by lot. It appears that some of the settlers had previously decided to settle together. In other cases lots were drawn to determine in which village the immigrant would settle. Then the individual "Wirtschaften" or village farms in the village plan were also divided among the settlers. A few of the more well-to-do families obtained a double "Wirtschaft".