Amur Settlement (p. 154 – 159)

After the Russian Revolution some Mennonites from colonies in Western Siberia moved to the Amur area. They settled in villages just north of the Chinese boarder.

On a moonless night in June 1930 Anna Klassen, Maria (Mia) Reimer, Peter Kopper and Abram Kopper waded, swam and rafted across the Amur to Heihe and then walked to Aigun where they boarded a riverboat that took them to Harbin.

On December 16, 1930 the entire village of Shumanovka, more than 200 people, fled across the frozen Amur, drove by truck to Zizikar and then by rail to Harbin.

More than 500 Mennonite refugees who had escaped over the Amur made their way to Harbin where they received aid from Dr. John Isaak. During the early 30’s these refugees managed to immigrate to America. Many of them went to Brazil.