The Second Wave of Emigrants into Russia

AHSGR, Work Paper No. 6, May 1971

The Pacific Northwesterner
Volume 8
Fall, 1964
Number 4

Inland Empire Russia Germans
By Harm H. Schlomer

(Excerpts)
(Page 54)
For the first ten years the colonists harvested only subsistence crops. They experienced much of the same life as our American pioneers upon entering the unchartered west. The government was obliged to extend credit to supply seed which always came late, and to supply flour which for years was a sour mouldy rye product. Debts mounted. Moreover, the men were not permitted to leave the villages to look for work. The nomadic raiders often razed whole villages and carried men away into slavery. The immigrant had hoped to come to a land of freedom, actually he had gone from liberty into slavery. In this way the Volga colony was started…

…The solid and hardy qualities of the settlers on the Volga would also serve to great advantage to hold the new territories for Russia even though many of the colonists brought in under Catherine were of less than average quality. With a little planning and diplomacy superior and sturdy settlers could be gotten from Germany.

In accordance with this need, a second colonization policy and program was issued by Alexander I in the Ukase of February 20, 1804. Under the new policy, emphasis was placed on a selected limited immigration. German farmers and artisans were carefully selected. They were to travel in groups and not more than 200 families were accepted in one year. The agent was to pay transportation only, and to issue passports only to those who were honest, industrious and possessed not less than 300 rubles in cash or property. These colonists were to be family men.

(Page 55)
This set the second great German emigration in motion. It began in 1804, and continued until 1817. The areas settled by these people were called the Black Sea colonies….