INSTITUTIONS OF RUSSIAN HISTORIANS IN EXILE IN PRAGUE IN 1920s

INSTITUTIONS OF RUSSIAN HISTORIANS IN EXILE IN PRAGUE IN 1920s

Research Article

Kruglikova I.

University of Turku, Finland 

 

Abstract

The article makes a contribution to the discussion about scholars in exile, particularly in Prague in 1920s. After the Russian Revolution in 1917 a large number of Russian historians became emigrants.  However, in Prague they united in order to continue their research activities and succeeded in organizing a number of Russian educational and scholar organisations working at a high standart.

Key words: Russian emigrants in Prague, scholars abroad, Russian historians in exile

Not only has Russian emigration had a very significant ideological and cultural influence on the European world, but it also has produced an invaluable historical heritage for Russia. Hundreds of thousands of Russians appeared to be in Diaspora after the Revolution in 1917 [1]. Furthermore, there were a great number of scholars, professors and academicians among them. [2, 13] Soon after the escaping from the fatherland, Russian historians started organizing academic groups and research institutions in Europe. Firstly, the purpose was to impart knowledge of Russian culture and history on Europe and to encourage Russian scholars to conduct their research activities.  Secondly, and perhaps, primarily there was a purpose to provide financial assistance to Russian scholars in exile, most of whom were rather in a poor financial situation. Thirdly, a collaboration with organizations that educated  young Russian émigré should be mentioned as an additional task of the Russian scholar institutions. As a matter of fact the «first wave» Russian émigré deeply believed that the Bolshevik’s regime would had been broken down soon, which is why it was especially important to educate a young generation in order to become useful specialists and professionals to the moment of their returning back to Russia… They undoubtedly considered themselves as a part of Russian cultural and spiritual life. P. N. Savitsky, one of the representatives of Russian Diaspora in Republic of Czechoslovakia and the founder of the theory of Eurasianism, wrote in 1923 in his book named «The productive forces of Russia»: «Our main concept - wherever emigrants are, they are part of the spiritual world which is called Russia. The ground under our feet is not everything at all, sometimes it means very little.  The most important is spiritual soil that nourishes every emmigrant - saturated soil of Russian culture...»[3,11]. Being «spiritual soil» of Russian culture, Russian refugees were scattered all over the world. Rather many of them managed to settle in Сzech Republic, where the government and its president Yan Masarik provided a tremendous support to Russian Diaspora.

Prague is considered to be a leader among centres of Russian scholar institutes, because the biggest number of Russian academic institutes was organized exactly there. The causes of the establishment of the Russian academic-educational and research-publisher organizations in Prague might be explained by a fact that in the Czech capital at that time there lived a big amount of Russian historians with a strong desire of their research activities to be expanded further. Thereby during the period 1920-1930 the Seminarium Kondakoviaum was organized in Prague, the same as Russian Historical Society and Russian Public (Free) University, Russian Law Faculty and Russian Historical Archive.

Russian Public University, which was officially opened November 8, 1925, was  a scholar and an educational institution. The aim of it was to implement the rapprochement between Russia and the Czech Republic. At different times such eminent professors as historians P.I. Novgorodtsev  (a former professor of Moscow State University) and V.A. Frantsev (a specialist in slavic studies) appeared to be the heads of it. The University had five departments and there were 33 professors among 64 lecturers such as N. Lossky, A. Florovsky and others [3. 45].  Rather soon the University faced financial difficulties and it gradually came to the end in 1949. During its existence the Russian Public University published The Notes of the research association at the Russian Free University [2, 61-63].

Seminarium Kondakovianum was founded in April 22, 1925 in Prague. According to the reports of the Seminarium, it was obvious that the primary objective of the Seminarium was the maintenance the best traditions of the emigration of Russian historical research, and if possible their multiplication. [4] Despite the dedication, Seminarium was established after the death of the archaeologist and art historian Nikodim Pavlovich Kondakov (1844-1925) by his scholars and colleagues. Over the years 11 volumes of a unique collection of works on the history of Russian and Byzantine art, archeology and history were published. Moreover, many acknowledged scholars published their works in the collection (for example M. Rostovtsev, Niederle, Vaytimer etc.), the same as Soviet historians did.  Though it happened solely in the first volume, as since 1928 the cooperation with the USSR historians was ceased due to political reasons. [2, 42] Also the collection's circulation was impressively small – just 450 copies (plus the annexes – 300 copies). The last major publication was “Seminarium Kondakoviaum”  in 1933, which contained the last volume of Kondakov’s works. Kondakovianum Seminaries continued to exist formally until 1953, it had a rich library and a good collection of Russian icons, the same as a big collection of Coptic textiles and other resources. Later on the Seminarium was transferred to the Institute of Art History of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences of the Czechoslovak Republic. The impact of the Kondakov’s Seminarium is to be considered exceptionally important: highly professional articles of Russian historians in exile were published there [4].

In the same period of time works of Russian historians were published on a regular basis at the Russian Historical Society. The first meeting of the Society was hold April 7, 1925 and its Charter was signed by 22 Russian scholars, including G.N. Vernadsky, A.A. Kizzeveter, P.N. Savitsky. The first head of the Historical Society, which was under the rule of the Union of Russian academic institutions abroad, was a historian and academician E.F. Shmurlo. After him the Russian Historical Society was headed by a historian A. Kizzevetter, a Professor of Russian History in the University of Prague and a member of the Union of Russian academic institutions abroad. The third head of the Society was V.A. Francev, a  specialist in Slavic studies,  who also made a great contribution to the publication of the Russian Institute in Prague. Not only did the Russian Historical Society organized confеrences and assisted financialy to scholar and research discussions but also it carried out a publishing activity. Since 1927 till 1930 a periodical publication entitled «Notes of the Russian Historical Society» («Notes of RIO») succesfully came out on a regular basis. The Russian Historical Society ended its existence simultaneously with the closing of the Russian Free University [6].

Russian Law Faculty was established in 1922 with assistence of P. Novgoodtsev and N. Alexseev (former professors of Moscow University) as a department of Charles University in Prague. The idea was to educate professional lawers for Russia and to provide a working positions to a big amount of Russian professors settled in Prague. Beside specialist in law there were many historians - specialists in Roman Law (for example,  A. Kizzeveter, G. Gurvich, K. Zaytseff, etc). Unfortunetely, since 1925 the activity of the Faculty slowly began to decline.[5]

Russian Historical Archive (RZIA) was founded in 1924 and the major purpose of it was to preserve the language, the history and the literature of Russian emigrants. The Archive organized collecting and storage printed and manuscript  material about Russian History, especially closely related to the period of the Revolution 1917 and Russian emigration. [5]

Russian historians - emigre in Prague in 1920s were able to exercise their self-realization in research, teaching, publication and journalistic activities, despite the obvious difficulties of being a refugee (forced separation from their roots and enforced staying in a foreign land). Nevertheless they stood at the cradle of Russian research journals, historical societies, scholar associations and research institutions, which appeared to be a significant cultural contribution to European culture and an attempt to preserve and elaborate the Russian historical approach without a mixture of Soviet ideology.

References:

1. Raeff M. A cultural history of the Russian Emigration 1919-1939. – New-York Oxford University Press, 1990.
2. Pashuto V. Russkie istoriki emigranti v Evrope. – Мoscow, 1991. – P. 32- 64.
3. Savitsky P. N. Proizvoditelnie sili Rossii// Yevraziysky vremennik. Berlin. 1923. Book 3.
4. Sbornik statey, posciaschennih pamiaty N.B. Kondakova: Arheologya. Istorya Iskustv. Vizantievedenie. Praga, 1926. (A collection of articles in memorandum of N.B. Kondakov: Archeology, Art History, Byzantium studies. Prague. 1926).
5. Russkie v Prage. 1818 – 1928/ Ed. S.P. Postnikov. – Prague, 1928.
6. Tsepilova V.I. Istoricheskaya nauka Russkogo zarubezhya 1920-1930 v otechestvennoy i zarubezhnoy istoriographiy. Phd Thesis. – Ekaterinburg, 2010.