Abstract

The existence of a conspicuous Russian émigré community in Czechoslovakia between the two World Wars deserves special consideration. It emerged as part of Russia Abroad (Zarubezhnaya Rossiya or Russkoe Zarubezh'e), a ‘country’ without a territory of its own, formed by former citizens of the Russian Empire who left their homeland as a result of the Bolshevik revolution, the civil war and the famine of 1921–1922. In retrospect, Russia Abroad appears to be a missing link between two epochs in Russian cultural and social history, divided by the revolutionary events of 1917. In this context, the Russian émigré community in Czechoslovakia is particularly significant as it accommodated many outstanding representatives of the Russian intelligentsia, as well as reputable scholarly institutions.

In addition, the benevolent attitude of the Czechoslovak authorities to the Russian exiles is perhaps unique as an example of the treatment of refugees. For these reasons, the examination of the Czechoslovak attitude towards the Russian émigrés provides an interesting case study of relations between the international community, the states, and the refugees themselves.

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