Village News

The artifacts in the MHV collection tell stories of Mennonites who served in combatant and non-combatant roles and of lives thrown into chaos during times of war and conflict, as Mennonites faced extreme situations and difficult choices. The Russian Revolution and civil war characterized a time when Mennonites were confronted with a country in turmoil. The civil war between the Red Army and the White Imperial Army erupted in 1917. This was the same year that this Mosin-Nagant rifle, a new donation to the MHV collection, was made at Sestrorytsk armory near Saint Petersburg. Although the Mennonites wished to remain apart from the conflict, it soon became apparent that all property-owners would become targets as their villages were pillaged by bandits led by Nestor Makhno.

The Selbstschutz (self-defense) was formed in some Mennonite colonies during their German occupation and units were trained under Germany army supervision, with the intention that when the German troops withdrew, these militia units would take on an active role in protecting the community. Mennonites, as individuals and as a whole, wrestled with and were divided by the idea of taking up arms. This attempt to uphold their centuries-long belief in nonresistance in the midst of the violence and terror of their current circumstances can be seen in the resolution reached at the Lichtenau Allgemeine Mennonitische Bundeskonferenz in July 1918. This resolution reaffirmed the belief of nonresistance but at the same time, did not condemn the Mennonites who participated in the Selbstschutz. The self-defense movement, however, was seen as rebellion by the Red Army, and, some historians suggest, was a factor that led to further violence against the Mennonite population. The complex history of the Selbstschutz, and its success or failure, is still debated among Mennonites today.

The Selbstschutz was aided by the White Army, and this Mosin-Nagant rifle is among the types of firearms which could have been supplied to them. The rifle will be on display in the museum foyer for the month of November, symbolizing this difficult chapter of the Russian Mennonite story.