I have definitely read the Wikipedia on this, so please do avoid linking me there.
I am confused about my background. I know everyone thinks it is a silly thing for people to wonder about, but I want to know where I really come from. In case you want to consider my perspective, imagine this: You live in a place that does not have its own identity or history, or at least not one that your lineage was a part of. You certainly know where you are and yes that is great, but not knowing where you come from is a restless feeling
Anyways, what I have been told about where my family comes from is: "They lived in a part of Russia that is now a part of the Ukraine." When I look this up, the apparent consensus is that no such place exists. When I read about Mennonites I also read that none of them were from Russia or the Ukraine. They moved there from Prussia or Holland when they were offered asylum. Eventually they lost their asylum in Russia, and so my family moved to a colony in Mexico.
If anyone could shed any light on the history of the Mennonites I would really appreciate it!
Note: I have used a throwaway because I am not sure how many "Mexican Mennonites" are currently living in Canada and I didn't want to accidentally out my real identity on a large anonymous site!
*took out an "anyways"; I use that word too often. Also realized I am a rambler so I bolded the actual request
I'll preface this by saying I'm not an historian, I'm a linguistics grad student with access to ancestry.com - and I'm a Mennonite, too.
I've been investigating my own family history, looking through census and immigration records, to figure out where we came from, and I can tell you a little bit that might be relevant to you in your search.
My great-great-great grandfather was born in a village called Ladekopp, in the Molotschna colony, which is located in what is now Zaporizhia Oblast in Ukraine, just north of the Black Sea. He came to the United States with his family in 1874 and wound up in Kansas, which I think is typical for many American Mennonites.
You are correct though, that the Mennonites were not native to Russia. My family speak/spoke Plattdietsch/Plautdeutsch/Low German, which is actually more closely related to English than High German, genetically (although to us it would sound more like High German, because it is more conservative than English).
This indicates that in a more distant past they inhabited some portion of the area between Denmark and the Netherlands. I was told as a child that the Mennonites moved to Russia at the invitation of Catherine the Great during the 18th century, which fits with the linguistic facts. They absorbed some Russian culture there, but maintained their language and religion.
Anyways, I hope this helps. Mods, if this is an inappropriate top-level comment, I apologize. I can easily send this to OP as a private message if you like, please let me know.