Our family....leaving Russia in 1877?

Research in Russia can be amazing....you never know what little tidbits and gems you will stumble across.

Some years ago I was alerted to a copy of a document from 1877 suggesting that my great-great grandfather, Johannes Gerk, had applied for a Russian passport.

I've finally been able to get scans of the official application, dated 1877, and it indeed shows he applied for and was issued a Russian passport.

I have no way of knowing if he and his family actually left Russia, and then returned at a later date.

I do know that his 2 sons, Johann Georg Gerk and Johann Georg Gerk will indeed leave Russia.  The eldest Georg Gerk will leave Russia and settle in Argentina.  The youngest, my great-grandfather, will leave Russia during the Russo-Japanese war, travel to Argentina, but then return to Russia, where he will die in 1924.

It's a fascinating history, at least for my family.

The application states that Johannes Gerk is age 50, his wife Katarina is 50, son Johann Georg is 23, wife Margareta is 23, daughter Anna Maria is 2 and son Johann Georg (my great-grandfather) is 8.

A page from the passport that was issued, No.153

(These documents were obtained from GASO, State Archive of Saratov Province)

And, of course, showing that Johannes Georg Gerk was in Russia later on, here is his death record,  stating that he died in Josefstal on 27th July 1886, at the age of 59. Listed as his survivor is his wife, Katarina, and son, Joh. Georg, age 18. (my great-grandfather).