Department of History Professor John Staples has co-authored “Transformation on the Southern Ukrainian Steppe: Letters and Papers of Johann Cornies,” published by the University of Toronto Press.
Through reports written by Johann Cornies, an ambitious and energetic leader of the Mennonite colony of Molochna, “Transformation on the Southern Ukrainian Steppe” documents the experiences Prussian Mennonites who were recruited by the Russian empire to bring progressive agricultural methods to newly opened grasslands in southern Ukraine during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Through the book, Dr. Staples, co-author Harvey Dyck and translator Ingrid Epp provide a resource for scholars of all aspects of life in Tsarist Ukraine as well as others interested in Mennonite history. The first volume of a series, the document collection covers the time period from 1812 to 1835.
Staples, whose teaching interests are focused on the history of Russia and the Soviet Union, received his doctoral degree from the University of Toronto.
