Union of Russian Patriots
Encyclopedia
The Union of Russian Patriots (Russian: Союз русских патриотов) was an organization of Russian (White
) emigres living in France
. The organization was pro-Soviet and was active from 1943 to 1948.
When Germany invaded the USSR
, the occupation authorities started with massive arrests of Russian emigres residing in France, e.g. D. Odinets. Many Russians participated in the French resistance
movement, and a number of those founded the Union of Soviet Patriots («Союз русских патриотов») on 3 October 1943 in collaboration with the French Communist Party
The union published the newspaper Russian Patriot. After the Liberation of France the organization was renamed the Union of Soviet Patriots («Союз советских патриотов») and the newspaper was consequently renamed Soviet Patriot. The activities of the Union proceeded with contacts with the Soviet consulate general in Paris. At that time, the membership of the Union was estimated to be 6,500.
After the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR published the decree on http://ru.wikisource.org/wiki/%D0%A3%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%B7_%D0%9F%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B7%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B8%D1%83%D0%BC%D0%B0_%D0%92%D0%A1_%D0%A1%D0%A1%D0%A1%D0%A0_%D0%BE_%D0%B2%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B8_%D0%B2_%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B6%D0%B4%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%B5_%D0%A1%D0%A1%D0%A1%D0%A0_%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B4%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8B%D1%85_%D0%B1%D1%8B%D0%B2%D1%88%D0%B5%D0%B9_%D0%A0%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%B9%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B9_%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B8,_%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B6%D0%B8%D0%B2%D0%B0%D1%8E%D1%89%D0%B8%D1%85_%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B8_%D0%A4%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B8reinstating Soviet citizenship for former subject of the Russian empire] living in France
, many White emigres (incl. the overwhelming majority of the members of the Union) decided to apply for Soviet passport.
Thereafter, the Union itself was again renamed, this time becoming the Union of Soviet Citizens in France («Союз советских граждан во Франции»). Against the backdrop of the Cold War
, in 1947 the French authorities arrested and expelled most of the Union's leaders from France (among them Lev Lyubimov
). On 16 January 1948 the Union was closed on the order of the French internal minister. In March 1948, all participants of a gathering of the board of the Union were arrested and deported to the Soviet occupation zone in Germany.
White Emigre
A white émigré was a Russian who emigrated from Russia in the wake of the Russian Revolution and Russian Civil War, and who was in opposition to the contemporary Russian political climate....
) emigres living in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The organization was pro-Soviet and was active from 1943 to 1948.
When Germany invaded the USSR
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
, the occupation authorities started with massive arrests of Russian emigres residing in France, e.g. D. Odinets. Many Russians participated in the French resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
movement, and a number of those founded the Union of Soviet Patriots («Союз русских патриотов») on 3 October 1943 in collaboration with the French Communist Party
French Communist Party
The French Communist Party is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism.Although its electoral support has declined in recent decades, the PCF retains a large membership, behind only that of the Union for a Popular Movement , and considerable influence in French...
The union published the newspaper Russian Patriot. After the Liberation of France the organization was renamed the Union of Soviet Patriots («Союз советских патриотов») and the newspaper was consequently renamed Soviet Patriot. The activities of the Union proceeded with contacts with the Soviet consulate general in Paris. At that time, the membership of the Union was estimated to be 6,500.
After the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR published the decree on http://ru.wikisource.org/wiki/%D0%A3%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%B7_%D0%9F%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B7%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B8%D1%83%D0%BC%D0%B0_%D0%92%D0%A1_%D0%A1%D0%A1%D0%A1%D0%A0_%D0%BE_%D0%B2%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B8_%D0%B2_%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B6%D0%B4%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%B5_%D0%A1%D0%A1%D0%A1%D0%A0_%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B4%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8B%D1%85_%D0%B1%D1%8B%D0%B2%D1%88%D0%B5%D0%B9_%D0%A0%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%B9%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B9_%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B8,_%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B6%D0%B8%D0%B2%D0%B0%D1%8E%D1%89%D0%B8%D1%85_%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B8_%D0%A4%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B8reinstating Soviet citizenship for former subject of the Russian empire] living in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, many White emigres (incl. the overwhelming majority of the members of the Union) decided to apply for Soviet passport.
Thereafter, the Union itself was again renamed, this time becoming the Union of Soviet Citizens in France («Союз советских граждан во Франции»). Against the backdrop of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, in 1947 the French authorities arrested and expelled most of the Union's leaders from France (among them Lev Lyubimov
Lev Lyubimov
Lev Dmitriyevich Lybimov was a Russian journalist, writer and art historian; author of the book of recollections entitled “Na chuzbine”...
). On 16 January 1948 the Union was closed on the order of the French internal minister. In March 1948, all participants of a gathering of the board of the Union were arrested and deported to the Soviet occupation zone in Germany.
Bibliogpraphy
- Pavel M. Polian, Christine Colpart Le rapatriement des citoyens soviétiques depuis la France et les zones françaises d’occupation en Allemagne et en Autriche — Cahiers du Monde russe, Vol. 41, No. 1 (Jan. — Mar., 2000), pp. 165—189
- http://www.ukrnationalism.org/articles/boregar.html
- http://archive.svoboda.org/programs/lived/2005/lived.080905.asp
- http://stalinism.ru/Stalin-i-gosudarstvo/Kesar-i-hudozhnik.html