Журнал «История: факты и символы»

FORMS OF PRESERVATION of CULTURAL IDENTI-TY OF THE YOUNGER GENERATION of RUSSIAN EMIGRANTS IN the 1920-1930s

Author: Klimovich L.V., Lukicheva L.Yu.

The article focuses on the issues of identification and identity of the younger generation of Russian emigration in 1920-1930s. The problem of preservation of native culture, history, language is very important for the younger generation, who left Russia in childhood. The article shows the process of "denationalization" - a concept, that is used by immigrants themselves to describe the process of losing their cultural identity, it varied in different resettlement countries and age groups. Based on archive materials and published sources, the author identifies several forms of preserving the cultural identity of the Russian Diaspora youth: the creation of Russian schools, holding celebrations (950 years from the day of the Baptism of Russia, the establishment of Moscow State University), the occurrence of emigrant celebrations: "The Day of the Russian Culture", "Day of a Russian child ", the activities of youth associations under the patronage of adults, students' unions, political youth organizations. The functioning of Russian schools and offices served as the principal transmission mechanism of knowledge of national history, culture and language. The set up of emigrant holidays such as "Day of Russian culture" and "Say of the Russian child" was not only due to intention to gather Russian-speaking community in emigration, but to draw the attention of government and people of the host country to the problems of immigrants. Youth organizations were presented by the young knights, scouts, young scouts. Their activities were conducted under the auspices of the older generation, in particular representatives of the Romanov dynasty. This is largely determined monarchist and Orthodox organizations. Student organizations whose primary purpose was the support of students among the emigrants, were also engaged in educational work. Socio-political activity of youth organizations of older generation is also high, their self-organization can be considered as an attempt to consolidate the youth of the emigrant community and to preserve their identity.The author concludes that mechanisms of transmission of traditions of pre-revolutionary Russia contributed to construction of historical memory, that created a positive image of the homeland, and at the same time allowed them to integrate into the host community. Post-revolutionary Russian emigrants mostly managed to avoid assimilation and maintain their cultural identity, while actively integrated into the host community. Forms of preservation of cultural identity, that rose in the environment of Russian emigration in 1920-1930s were attempts of consolidating of the émigré community and became the basis for the emergence of the phenomenon of "Russian Abroad".