The story of the first settlement of the Flemish Mennonites at the junction of the Chortitza and Dnjepr Rivers in 1789 in Imperial Russia is replete with drama, tension and tragedy. It is no small task to establish a peaceful Christian community in an undeveloped steppe and to create an environment where the pioneers and their descendants could thrive and p rosper. Within a century the Chortitza “Old” Colony had become perhaps the most prosperous community in the area north of the Black Sea and its industries were leading the way in the region’s booming economy.