Synopses & Reviews
The dramatic events of the twentieth century have often led to the mass migration of intellectuals, professionals, writers, and artists. One of the first of these migrations occurred in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, when more than a million Russians were forced into exile. With this book, Marc Raeff, one of the world's leading historians of Russia, offers the first comprehensive cultural history of the "Great Russian Emigration." He examines the social and institutional structure of the emigration and describes its rich cultural and intellectual life. He points out that what distinguishes this emigration from other such episodes in European history is the extent to which the emigres succeeded in reconstituting and preserving their cultural creativity in the West. The flourishing Russian communities of Paris, Berlin, Prague and Kharbin not only enriched Russian arts and letters, but also significantly influenced the culture of their Western hosts, and Raeff concludes with an assessment of their impact on the development of modern Western and Soviet culture.
Review
"A much-needed and thoughtful exploration of a significant part of Russian cultural history in this century."--New York Times Book Review
"[A] magisterial overview."--Revolutionary Russia
"Bound to remain the last word on the subject for a long time to come."--International History Review
"The best available account of this important aspect of twentieth-century Russian history....This is a fine book, interesting in its details, stimulating in its interpretation, and effect in drawing together some of the strands of the Russian emigration."--The Historian
"An intellectual feast....Represent[s] a brilliant synthesis of heretofore scattered materials that serves as an indispensable point for departure for future research."--Choice
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 199-220) and indexes.