There were two large scale emigrations of German people to Russia. The first, which took place in 1763-1768 in the reign of Catherine the Great, saw the establishment of 104 agrarian settlements on the lower Volga. A similar but more extensive emigration was promoted by Czar Alexander II in the years 1804-1821, when 181 settlements were established in the region of the Black Sea. This book focuses attention on three of the major enclaves in the Odessa district, in order to present a comprehensive, detailed view of the history and cultural background of a pioneering people who converted the desolate steppe into a paradise of productivity and prosperity.