The destruction and violence that descended on the southern Ukraine at the beginning of this century devastated what had become a very prosperous, industrialized economy. A disproportional amount of that economy pertained to the Mennonite community that had worked very hard for over 100 years to rebuild after the move from Prussia. But toward the end of the 19^th century Russia was a nation in the throes of political and social change.

In the 1860's serfdom was abolished. Many of the wealthy Russian landowners went bankrupt when the serfs were freed. In 1871 the "Eternal Privileges" and all other similar privileges were revoked. This meant the German and Mennonite immigrants became subject to military service. During the last decade of the 19^th century the Bolsheviks began to organize and stir up trouble. Then World War I intervened and the Czarist government became involved in the external political turmoil this brought on. By 1917 the populace was ripe for change.

It is worth a pause here to reflect on the life of Bernhard Harder and the impact he had on the Mennonite colonies during the latter half of the 19^th century. As so often has happened in human history, God sends a time of refreshing and call to renewal just before the storm. Bernhard Harder was an instrument God chose to use for just such a time.

Born into a family of eight in the Molotschna colony, Bernhard lost his father at the age of 12. Nonetheless, his mother was able to raise the family and leave a strong impression on him. From an early age he felt called to be a preacher and teacher. After graduating from the Halbstadt Zentralschule, he went on to serve in various teaching positions until 1860 when he was chosen minister by the Ohrlof-Halbstadt Mennonite Church. For some 15 years he combined the duties of preaching with his ongoing teaching responsibilities, plus raising a large family.

Unique to his preaching was the breaking from the tradition of reading from a prewritten sermon or manuscript. Forceful in his opposition to all that he considered ungodly, he was motivated by a strong love for the Savior and for winning sinners to Christ. With untiring persistence he preached from various pulpits and as an evangelist in numerous settlements and villages. It is said he did more than anyone else during the second half of the century to revive the spiritual life of the Mennonites in Russia and to prevent unbalanced and unsound elements from misleading the church.

His strength and contribution lie in the fact that he followed an independent, warmly evangelistic course within the entire brotherhood, aiming to lift its spiritual and cultural aspects. In Sept of 1884, he returned from a journey to Zagradovka, ill with pneumonia, having preached four times daily during that trip. A few days later he passed on to his reward.

One would think the turn of the century would bring peace and hope. Not so. As war enveloped all of Europe, Russia was no exception. Early in the war Russian forces did well, advancing into eastern Prussia. However, in 1916 their success turned into retreat. Morale at home had sagged, food was in severe shortage, and to make things worse, the Bolsheviks took advantage of the abdication of the Tsar and the subsequent invasion by the Germans, to capture the Winter Palace, on November 7, 1917. Lenin, the new self-appointed leader, immediately engaged in peace talks with the Germans.

In desperation the Bolsheviks signed a peace treaty with Germany on March 3, 1918, ceding control of the Baltic States, Poland and the Ukraine. Inherent in the subsequent negotiations was a bid at independence for the Ukraine. In support of that effort German troops occupied the area, including many of the colonies. Just prior to this new agreement, on February 5, 1918, Red Army troops appeared in Halbstadt, Molotschna colony and began the "Halbstadt Days of Terror" so it was with relief that the residents greeted the German troops when they arrived on April 19^th.

For a short time a sense of normalcy returned. Meanwhile the German army assisted in the formation of a "defensive army" of the residents. The German offensive on the Western front did not go well, nor for that matter the war in general. In November, 1918, an armistice was signed and all German troops withdrawn from the Ukraine, leaving the Mennonites entirely on their own.

With the withdrawal of the German Army full-scale anarchy broke out with a civil war being fought between White Army units, Red troops representing the Bolsheviks, the Ukrainian National Army and various local partisans. For approximately a year, Nestor Makhno and his partisan army controlled the area. Makhno had grown up 65 kilometers north east of the Molotschna colony. At age 17 he joined a band of anarchists. Now, twelve years later, he organized a band of anarchists into a fighting force of 5,000-8,000 men of which 1,500 were cavalry. His regiments ravaged the countryside, their basic philosophy being destruction, with particular emphasis on kulak peasants and the urban middle class.

Plunder, burning and rape were standard procedure. The worst of this period of terror occurred from October to December, 1919. The Chortitza, and Molotschna colonies were in the center of this region of activity. Village after village were attacked, many being partially or almost totally destroyed. The Molotschna colony felt the aftermath of the terror. In Osterwick 160 people died of typhus, in Einlage 100 and in Kronsthal 66. Over 100 women and girls had to be treated for syphilis. In December, 1919, the Red Army gained control of the area and Nestor Makhno thought it best to retreat across the border into Romania. He died in Paris in 1934, likely from excessive drink and tuberculosis.

By November, 1929, some 13,000 Mennonites had collected in the suburbs of Moscow, hoping to obtain exit visas. Canada refused to accept more immigrants but eventually Germany consented to take a number on temporary visas. A little more than half of those accepted by Germany were Mennonites.

Of these about 1,200 migrated to Brazil. Since Brazil did not guarantee non-resistance status, most of those that chose Brazil did not consider this principal to be important. The first 33 families settled in the valley of the upper Krauel River, 160 kilometers west of the German city of Blumenau. This settlement grew to 150 families. Another 34 families arrived from China having left the USSR by crossing the Amur River.

Early times were difficult. Jungle lands had to be cleared to build log huts and then to plant crops. In the village of Witmarsum the main crops were corn, manioc, milk, pork and wood from the forests. Those families that settled above the original villages in an area called the Stoltz Plateau, eventually gave up due to poor crops and excessive distance to market and moved to Curitiba, Parana. By 1951 all families had left the Stoltz Plateau. In 1949 there were 120 families at the original village of Witmarsum, 258 families in and around Curitiba and another 44 families from Sao Paulo to Blumenau.

During the 1949-1952 period, the Witmarsum settlement broke up due to economic difficulties with about 70 families moving to Bage, Rio Grande de Sul. The remainder mostly settled in a new settlement called NeuWitmarsum northwest of Curitiba. By 1994 Mennonite church membership in Brazil had grown to 5,974.

Although settlement in Mexico didn't originate with people coming directly from the Ukraine it may be just as fitting to mention it here, given the short time they lived in Canada. With the passing of the School Attendance Act in 1916, in Manitoba, it became clear to the Mennonite community that the government was not going to bend on their requirement that all children be schooled in the government-run schools in English. As a result an exploratory trip was made to Mexico in 1921. A purchase of 60,000 hectares of land in the state of Chihuahua was sealed and an additional 30,000 hectares added about the same time. The price came to $20.40 in US gold per hectare. In March of 1922 a migration began, continuing in 1923, 1924, and 1925.

All total, about 7,000 Mennonites emigrated to Mexico in the 1920's, with all but a few coming from Canada. Even though some 10,000 have returned to Canada during the intervening years or gone south to Paraguay and other destinations, the current 24 colonies in Mexico have an estimated population of around 50,000.