Germans

The «New» Mennonites of the Ural and Siberia: Genesis and Transformation of Ethnoconfessional Communities in the 1940s – 1960s

The article explores the genesis and transformation of Soviet ethno-confessional communities in the 1940s – 1960s, using the case of the so called «new» Mennonite communities in the Ural and Siberia. The development of these communities depended on the extreme conditions of a transition they went through, from the traditional rural life to the urban industrial setting. In these communities we see new mechanisms of solidarity, based on inter-communal and inter-religious communication.

The Historical Roots and the Correlation of Confessional and Ethnic Elements within Mennonite Identity in the USSR

The article examines historical roots and dynamics of Mennonite identity in USSR using the concept of an ethno-confessionality, introduced to Soviet religious studies by Alexei N. Ipatov. As a result of secularization, in the beginning of the 20th century a part of Mennonites gave up religion but continued to regard themselves Mennonites by culture, and Mennonite identity ceased to be strictly religious. During the Civil War, the confessional identity lost its traditional core — obligatory nonresistance.