Episode 62: From Russia with Woe (Part 2)

Tales from the Mennonite Heritage Archives Episode 62

  • Maria in the studio for the Tales interview.

During Stalin’s Reign of Terror the 1930s, Jacob Petrovich Janzen was one of many Mennonites swept up into forced labour camps called Special Settlements, and then the more severe form of the camps called the Gulag. More than 80 years later, his great-grandaughter, Maria Lotsmanova, discovered parts of his story with help from the Gulag History Museum of Repressions in Moscow. Maria shares with listeners what she has learned about her great-grandfather’s struggle and faith during this time.

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Podcast Series: Tales from the Mennonite Heritage Archives
Episode 62:  From Russia with Woe (Part 2)
Date: February 15, 2026
Host: Dan Dyck
Published by The Mennonite Heritage Archives