boys and girls not from Brazil: from Russia to Rio and back again via Southampton and Hamburg, 1878-1880

In December 1879 the Minho arrived in Southhampton with 91 Russian 'refugees' on board after having called at Brazil. All were born in the Samara province in southern Russia where they worked the land. They were descendants of the so-called Volga Germans. The decline of the grain trade led many young Volga Germans struggling financially to consider emigration from 1860 onwards. Their short stay in the Brazilan interior was a disaster, and they decided to return to Russia. Initially the Russian government refused to allow those on the Minho the right to return.This article describes their experiences until they were safely back home