RUSSIA: The Volga Germans Before World War I (Softcover)by Deanne Crawford. 1972. 126p The Volga Germans were invited by Czarina Catherine II of Russia in 1763 to settle in the lower Volga region with promises of land, religious freedom, and tax exemptions. The recruitment process involved deceitful tactics to increase emigration, leading to successful resettlement until strict bans were enforced in 1767. The establishment of the Tutel Kanzlei played a crucial role in governing the Volga German colonies,