The Fate of World War I Combatants in the History of the Russian Diaspora

Abstact: This article studies the fate of World War I veterans in the Russian diaspora. The author discusses the settlement of former combatants, assistance by émigré organisations, and historical memory. Her research relies on a broad source base, including archival and published documents, as well as émigré periodicals. The article demonstrates that the former combatants were scattered in various countries and included prisoners of war, officials of the Russian Expeditionary Corps, as well as the members of the White movement. She concludes that, in contrast to Soviet Russia, the Russian diaspora sought to commemorate the “bearers of Russian honour” and perpetuate the memory of their exploits with memorials to those died in foreign lands.