Journal, Vol. 35, No. 2 – Summer 2012

On the Cover: Photo of a Black Sea farm compound showing German farmers displaying their prize horses for the camera. This Journal is a Special Edition; a joint project of AHSGR and GRHS. This issue is devoted to articles on “The Economic Contributions of the German Russians to the Imperial Russian Economy” taking us from early settlements of some 300 colonies in the 18th and 19th centuries to 3000 villages by 1914, and the profound effect on agricultural production in the Russian Empire, transforming European Russia into Europe’s “breadbasket.” Industrial pursuits were many, nevertheless all ended when the Bolsheviks, in 1917, seized power. Finally we are brought up to date with Russia, once again, courting Western settlers to revive a farming industry that is ailing in some areas. Will history repeat itself, or will the Putin government’s move toward greater centralization be a sufficient reminder that returning to Russia carries with it many uncertainties?