The Second Postoctober Wave of Emigration from Russia: Historiographic Aspect
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World Applied Sciences Journal 29 (7): 842-851, 2014 ISSN 1818-4952 © IDOSI Publications, 2014 DOI: 10.5829/idosi.wasj.2014.29.07.13938 The Second Postoctober Wave of Emigration from Russia: Historiographic Aspect Alexander Alekseevich Pronin Ural State Agrarian University, Ekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk region, Russia Abstract: The article is dedicated to the analysis of literature on people who left the USSR during World War II. Until recent years, the subject was extremely unpopular among Russian historians. This, to no small degree, is due to the fact that both on the level of official ideology and on one’s subconscious level the entire second emigration has been affiliated with hostile forces: first with Nazi Germany and then with “Western imperialists”. In consequence, we know little about the second wave of emigration. The author examines literature on the make-up of the second post-October wave and its numbers, the legal basis of the repatriation of Soviet citizens (the Yalta agreements, etc.), its course, the causes behind the “non-return” and fate of those who stayed in the West and their contribution to the continuation of the spiritual life of the Russian Abroad. Key words: Russian emigration Russian Abroad Historiography and source studies in the history of Russia Waves of emigration from Russia Emigration from the USSR of 1939-the early 1950-s Russian liberation war Repatriation of Soviet citizens after World War II INTRODUCTION States and the stories of many of these works concern the mass emigration of Russian Jews of the late XIX-early XX The volume and diverse nature of research century on the territory of the Russian Empire, including conducted in Russia since 1991 attest to the emergence Poland. These processes, the contribution of Russian of emigration studies as a new socially significant strand Jews in the culture of American, are studied in the works in national humanitaristics, which is developing at a fast of N. Cohen [1], H. Frost [2], J. Thornton [3]. In books by pace. The hype around the subject of emigration, its American authors R. Bowen [4], M. Green [5], T. Peterson cultural legacy-a sort of vogue traced in Russia in the [6], D. Shasha [7] the causes of the latter (the end of the early 1990-s-made way in the first decade of the 21st twentieth century) waves of emigration from Russia to century for quiet meticulous (“donnish”) research the United States aredescribed, its ethnic composition work-an expected stage in the evolution of any new (according to official statistics and Russian Jews in the scientific strand. years alternated the lead in the number of travelers to The main outcome of all the scientific research the U.S. from Russia), changes in the lifestyle of Russian conducted over the last two decades is having recognized Americans in their culture, language, especially Russian emigration as a component part of one single integration into American society. Russian culture-the keeper of its best traditions-and the In the works of German researchers talking about all history of emigration as a component part of the social the waves of emigration from post-revolutionary Russia: history of the Russian state. the first post-revolutionary [8; 9], post-war [9; 10] and the time of "perestroika" [11-13]. Last is seen in conjunction Russian Emigration in Studies by Foreign Authors: with the theme of human rights, the priority is given to the As for foreign authors-their subjects connected with the national question, the authors are also interested in Russian emigration are not too interested. As showed aspects of adaptation of immigrants on German earth. our search of untranslated literature of Russian Of the outstanding names should be called Wolfgang immigrants in domestic catalogs of libraries, most studies Cossack, Professor, University of Cologne, he has focus on foreign immigrants from Russia to the United headed for a long time the Institute of Slavic Studies, Corresponding Author: Pronin, Ural State Agrarian University, Charles Street Libknekhta, 42, Ekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk region, Russia 620075. 842 World Appl. Sci. J., 29 (7): 842-851, 2014 engaged in the literature of the Soviet period and the inhabitants of Russia Russians, including former natives Russian literary wave of emigration, but gave preference of Russia who are in emigration. It would be more proper to the third wave, because personally knew and was a to use the term “Russian” as opposed to “Russky”, for friend with many immigrants. V. Kazak assembled a the former is inclusive of all the nationals (citizens) of remarkable collection of émigré journals ("Renaissance", Russia who left their homeland, irrespective of their "Echo", "The Third Wave", etc.), which is stored at the ethnicity. We suggest using the term “Russian Institute of Slavic Studies. Its merit is the numerous emigration” to denote all those nationals and citizens of conferences on the subject. Chief summarizing the work the Russian state who left the country in different of V. Kozak is "Russian literary emigration in the XX” has periods of its history (the Russian Empire, the RSFSR, not translated yet in Russian [14]. The book provides the USSR, the Russian Federation), those who left for essays on all three waves of emigration, their history, overseas for permanent residence or who found composition and the reasons for departure, etc. are themselves abroad for political, economic and other considered the biography and works of the most reasons for a certain period of time. The term “the Russian prominent authors. Abroad” will imply the entire aggregate of the activity In Munster, the student of Kazak prof. Gebler and stay of Russians overseas. Thus, the term “the works. Under his leadership in Germany in October 2003, Russian Abroad” involves the study of not just there was an international conference "The Russian emigration processes, which helps substantially enlarge emigration from1917 to 1991: Reading-Language-Culture", the format of studies. Both terms-“Russian emigration” the proceedings of which were published by F. Gebler and “Russian Abroad”-are much broader than any others and W. Lange [15]. and are therefore universal. A few interesting books were published in Paris. Among them is the book of Daniel Bon-Gray "Historians On the Periodization of Emigration in Russia: of Russian emigration [16] and of Frans Lemaire "Russian According to one of the definitions of emigration, it must fate and music", dedicated musicians in exile from 1917 to be construed as voluntary or forced relocation from one the present day [17]. country to another, which is caused by various reasons. The phenomenon of Russian foreign is studied and The resumability of emigration at different stages of the by its representatives. Of the non-translated into the development of our society lets us speak of it as a Russian language is said to be released in 2004 in New phenomenon with its own nature, laws and periodicity. Haven (USA), Yale University Press book Catherine Periods of time within which emigration starts, Andreyev and Ivan Saviský "Russia Abroad: Prague and gains in numbers and comes to an end are called “waves” the Russian Diaspora, 1918-1938", which is the first full in historiography. account of the Russian community immigrants in the Periodization as the division of emigration Czechoslovak Republic from 1918 to 1938, when the Nazi development processes into major radically different invasion of their newly dispelled. The authors of named stages helps not only fathom the phenomenon itself more publications investigated the causes of the Russian deeply but, having revealed the causes behind it, explore refuge in this Eastern European country, the various better and comprehensively periods of the evolution of aspects of life of immigrants, including scientific and society and the state, which correspond to it. cultural [18]. Published and widely known in the Prior to the turn of the 21st century, most researchers homeland of the book of Russian-German journalist and and publicists had kept track of emigration waves from social activist M.V. Nazarov, "The mission of Russian October 1917. It is apparent that this hard and fast emigration” [19] and historian of Russian culture “linking” of emigration waves to the October revolution abroad, curator of Bahmetevskiy Archives in New York by most historians was due to the fact that Soviet City, M. I. Raeff "Russia abroad: The cultural history of historiographers divided the country’s entire history Russian emigration” [20]. into two periods separated by this date. In 1999, Russian Academy of Sciences academician Definitions: In 1993, historian and ethnographer Y.A. Polyakov put forth a scheme by which five periods V.V. Aleksandrov expressed a view that Russia would in the history of Russian emigration were set apart. benefit from the US experience, whereby one’s belonging Polyakov added one more to the four waves traced to a nation is defined based solely on the attribute of within the 21st century by tradition, which he proposed citizenship. Thus, it would be appropriate to call all the to consider as the first wave: the years of mass labor 843 World Appl. Sci. J., 29 (7): 842-851, 2014 (peasant) emigration from poor western provinces of Tolstoy-Miloslavsky relates the following the Russian Empire of the late 19th -early 20th centuries. information on the composition of the second post- The emigration that took place prior to the late 19th October wave. Most importantly-the inhabitants of century was proposed to be considered as “cases of a occupied lands who were deported to Germany for one-off nature”. This periodization was met with support forced labor. On a voluntary basis, enrolment into from V.M. Selunskaya, G.Y. Tarle and other Moscow labor battalions was practiced only until the end of 1941.