Russia Abroad: Prague and the Russian Diaspora, 1918-1938

In the wake of the Russian Revolution and the ensuing civil war, approximately one-&-a-half million Russians fled their country. Many settled in Prague where they were welcomed and supported by the newly formed Czechoslovak Republic. This book presents the first full account of Prague's Russian emigre community from 1918 to 1938 when the Nazi invasion scattered the inhabitants yet again. 'Russia Abroad' examines the life of this vibrant community, its activity, achievement and importance. Catherine Andreyev and Ivan Savicky look at why it was that Czechoslovakia embraced the Russian immigrants. They show how the Russian community evolved, and how the original idea of supporting Russian emigres and creating an academic centre of progressive Russians had to be modified in the light of national and international politics. The story they tell not only illuminates aspects of Russian life and culture of the period but also offers insights into later diasporas in the twentieth- and twenty-first centuries. Catherine Andreyev is fellow and tutor in modern history at Christ Church, Oxford. Ivan Savicky is a writer and historian based in Prague. Both authors are children of members of the Russian emigre community in Prague.