Beginning in 1859, a number of colonies were settled in the Volga Region above the city of Samara about 45 miles from the Volga River. Originally 10 colonies were established and inhabited almost exclusively by Mennonites from West Prussia. In 1863, a number of Evangelical colonists arrived, mostly from Poland and Silesia, and were settled in colonies clustered around the original Mennonite colonies. In later years, both of these colony groups (Mennonite and Evangelical) attracted those resettling from the lower Volga colonies and the Black Sea region. Thousands of Black Sea Germans also lived in these colonies as they were moving to areas east of the Ural Mountains where they were seeking better farming opportunities.
The following colonies were located in this cluster north of Samara:
- Koch, Fred C. The Volga Germans: In Russia and the Americas, from 1763 to the Present (University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1977): 86-87.
Last updated 5 September 2009.