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Into the Past: Buildings of the Mennonite Commonwealth |
Rudy P. Friesen |
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Into the Past established Rudy P. Friesen as the leading authority on Russian Mennonite architecture from 1789-1914. This popular book was reprinted several times and is now out-of-print. However, much of content has been updated and incorporated into Building on the Past.
Out of print |
| book reviews
“Rudy Friesen has added much valuable information to the knowledge base of those who wish to study the “ Mennonite Commonwealth” of Russia. This is, of course, of great interest to those who travel to find their roots or those of their parents or grandparents. In the broader scope the documentation and analysis is also important for Russian Mennonite history in general.” – Helmut T. Huebert, Journal of Mennonite Studies |
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“This is not just another book about Mennonites in Russia: it is different. [It] seems to bring the reader closer to a way of life, and a time and place that by now seems distant and dark….The book is user friendly The print size is comfortable and the brief descriptions that go with each entry are precise and informative. The photographs are carefully selected. “Then and now” photographs are used where possible. The illustrations are supplemented with floor and wall plans as well as maps which indicate clearly where sites shown in the photographs are located.” – Wm. Schroeder, Preservings |
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“Friesen’s very careful research, his contact with knowledgeable Ukrainians and his own professional understanding of design and construction give the book credibility.” – Doris Penner, Carillon News, Steinbach, Manitoba
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| “How fortunate for us that Rudy Friesen’s book Into the Past: Buildings of the Mennonite Commonwealth, became available just days before we left on our odyssey. During our visits to the villages it became an invaluable source of information and our guide to solving the mysteries of another era. Here is a book that looks at the history of a people through its buildings and reveals much more than the architecture of the Russian Mennonites…..Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of this book is the profusion of old and new photographs of the buildings constructed by these pioneers of the steppes. For many of us it is somewhat overwhelming to realize how our ancestors evolved from “die Stillen im Lande” in the late eighteenth century, dwelling in typical Mennonite house-barns, to business entrepreneurs and wealthy estate owners erecting ornate architectural edifices less than a century later….We are grateful that Rudy Friesen has had the forethought and inspiration to capture from oblivion and preserve for posterity these memorials to our past.” – Kay Klassen, The Intercom, Winnipeg, Manitoba |
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