Register to the Rossiiskoe natsional'noe ob"edinenie records

Finding aid prepared by Natasha Porfirenko
Hoover Institution Library and Archives
© 2008
434 Galvez Mall
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6003
hoover-library-archives@stanford.edu


Title: Rossiiskoe natsional'noe ob"edinenie records
Date (inclusive): 1929-1981
Collection Number: 82066
Contributing Institution: Hoover Institution Library and Archives
Language of Material: Russian
Physical Description: 7 manuscript boxes, 1 oversize box (4.6 Linear Feet)
Abstract: Russian émigré community in Belgium and other European countries over the time of the Russian Civil War, World War II, and cold war period includes correspondence, reports, minutes of meetings, printed and other material
Creator: Rossiĭskoe nat͡sionalʹnoe obʺedinenie
Physical Location: Hoover Institution Library & Archives

Access

The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.

Use

For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives

Acquisition Information

Materials were acquired by the Hoover Institution Library & Archives in 1982

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Rossiiskoe natsional'noe ob"edinenie records, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives

Historical Note

Historical Background
After the Bolsheviks seized power in 1917, Russia plunged into a bloody Civil War waged between the Red and White Armies. In the fall of 1920 the White Army was defeated, and some 100,000 demoralized White Army troops and 50,000 civilians boarded ships of the former Imperial Black Sea Fleet and fled the Crimea for Constantinople and exile. General Piotr Nikolaevich Vrangel, Chief Commander of the White Army in Crimea, negotiated with the Ottoman Empire and the French who occupied Constantinople at the end of the First World War for permission to settle the fully armed White Army in several camps in Turkey, Yugoslavia, and the Aegean island of Lemnos. The principal camp was at Gallipoli in Turkey. There General Vrangel prepared his army for a military campaign against the Bolshevik government.
By the year 1923 it became clear that the Bolsheviks had consolidated their control in Russia and hopes of a military campaign against them vanished. The White Army troops had to be reintegrated into civilian life. In 1924 Vrangel formed the Russian General Military Union ( Russkii Obshche-Voinskii Soiuz). This organization preserved the army structure of the demilitarized White Army and played an important role in the very survival of military refugees. At the same time many regimental associations and societies of First World War and Civil War veterans started to form in émigré communities.
Historical Note
Russian National League was founded in 1948 due to the extremely difficult situation of the Russian émigré community and its desire to unify the majority of the Russian organizations in Belgium. The main purpose of the organization was the representation, unification and protection of Russian émigrés living in Belgium. It was based on unconditional devotion to Russia (not the USSR), loyalty to the national ideal, and adherence to Christian culture and civilization.
The organization supported a wide range of legal and social assistance to its members, established contact with all Russian national organizations inside and outside Belgium, provided assistance in founding a Russian Foreign National Center and supported all national-patriotic forces. It was not a political organization, because its main purpose was serving to their Motherland and preserving memory of the heroes of the White movement.
In 1964 the Russian National League initiated a celebration of the 1100th anniversary of the Russian State. It also commemorated the anniversary of the founding of Saint Petersburg, and organized various art and book exhibits, opera concerts, and other events in Brussels and provinces. It built a cathedral-monument to the martyred Russian Tsar and other victims of Bolshevism.
By resolution of the Russian National League Council of February 21, 1982, the existence of the Russian House and Library came to an end due to financial difficulties. The last information bulletin, Number 292, was issued in April 1982.

Scope and Content of Collection

Russian National League papers contain information about the activities of this organization and Russian émigré community in Belgium after World War II. Materials were divided into six series.
The Office Files document the history, statute, purpose and objectives of the organization. The papers show the connections between the Russian National League with the Russian Union (ROVS - Russkii Obshche-Voinskii Soiuz), formed by General Peter Vrangel in 1924, which played an important role in the survival of the military refugees. Scattered across the globe, often without property or a steady source income, many émigrés faced a life of poverty and destitution. They did not have easy access to government institutions, local charity organizations, or in family host countries. Correspondence file includes letters to the state and governmental officials regarding Russian émigrés and their needs, and to members of the Principal Headquarters of the Russian National League with discussion of the issues on the pages of Chasovoi magazine. The minutes of meetings of the Russian National League cover period 1948-1979. Of special interest in this collection are the testimonials on the kidnapping in Paris of Russian Generals Evgenii Miller and Aleksandr Kutepov. Oversize Materials contain fabric banners and advertisements about Russian book exhibits in Brussels.
The Publications File contains a collection of various émigré publications and monthly bulletins of Russian workers in Belgium. Vasilii Orekhov was the editor of Chasovoi magazine – the most prominent anti-Bolshevik émigré "white" magazine reflecting the ROVS position. In 1936 after the magazine openly supported General Francisco Franco in the Spanish Civil War, V. Orekhov was forced to relocate this publication from France to Belgium. After World War II Vasilii Orekhov founded the Russian National League and continued his publication of Chasovoi magazine and the monthly bulletin of Russian workers in Belgium.
The Radio Broadcasts include transcripts of the Russian section, Spanish radio, Madrid. At the time General Franco started his fight for liberation of Spain from communism, Soviet leaders initiated creation of international brigades and sent them to Spain. As a result, General Franco allowed Russian officers (from the Russian Imperial Army) to join the Spanish Army. Vasilii Orekhov started the first Russian émigré independent radio station in Spain.
Printed matter file includes newspapers, newspaper clippings, and scrapbooks covering period 1926-1980.
Cultural life depicts various art and book exhibits, opera performances, and reflects other events in Brussels and the provinces, connecting the materials in the collection with the events of the Russian émigré community in Belgium.
Photographs commemorate significant events in the life of the Russian émigré community abroad

Related Material

David Davidovich Grimm papers, Hoover Institution Library & Archives

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Russia -- Emigration and immigration
Soviet Union -- Social conditions
Anti-communist movements
Nationalism -- Russia
Russians -- Belgium
Romanov, House of

 

Office file 1920-1979.

Scope and Contents note

Correspondence, notes, memoranda, reports, newsletters, and minutes of meetings, arranged by subject
 

General

box 1, folder 1

Statute of the Organization undated

box 1, folder 2

Purpose and objectives of the organization undated

box 1, folder 3

Russian National League in Belgium, memorandum undated

box 1, folder 4

Glavnokomanduiushchii Vooruzhennymi Silami na IUge Rossii generala Vrangelia, prikaz O Zemle ot 25 maia 1920 goda (Order of General Vrangel, Commander in Chief of the Russian Army stationed in Southern Russia, 1920 May 25)

box 1, folder 5

Russian émigrés killed while serving for the French Foreign Legion, list 1921-1933

box 1, folder 6

Russkii Obshchevoinskii Soiuz, prikaz Generala Vrangelia number 35 ob obrazovanii (Order number 35 issued by General Peter Vrangel on formation of the Russian All Military Union) 1924 September 1

box 1, folder 7

Soiuz Gallipoliitsev vo Frantsii, Prikaz number 40 Predsedatelia (Order number 40 of the Chairman of the [Russian] Gallipoli Union in France) 1929 May 25

box 1, folder 8

Obshchestvo Gallipoliitsev, postanovlenie Soveta (Resolution of the Council of the Gallipoli Union) 1929 September 8

box 1, folder 9

Vasilii Orekhov, Chairman of the Russian National League in Belgium, membership cards 1937-1959

box 1, folder 10

Appeals, declarations, leaflets, open letters, and resolutions (in Russian and French) 1942-1967

 

Russian National League, list of members.

Scope and Contents note

Includes addresses
box 1, folder 11

1951-1952

box 1, folder 12

1956

box 1, folder 13

Russian émigrés, reunion, Brussels 1960 July 31

 

Correspondence

box 1, folder 14-15

General 1929-1978

box 1, folder 16

Chasovoi (Watchman) magazine editor's office 1929-1956

box 1, folder 17-20

Correspondence regarding Russian émigrés and press (media) 1932-1977.

Scope and Contents note

Include letters from Russia
box 1, folder 21-22

Official correspondence with state and governmental officials 1937-1977

box 2, folder 1

Official correspondence with state and governmental officials 1937-1977

 

Chairman

box 2, folder 2-3

General 1937-1968, 1973

box 2, folder 4

Strictly confidential with the members of the Principal Headquarters of the Russian National League 1956-1971

box 2, folder 5-6

Congress of the Russian National League 1952

 

Minutes of meetings

box 2, folder 7

1948

box 2, folder 8

1949

box 3, folder 1

1950

 

1951

box 3, folder 2

General

box 3, folder 3

Material from the First Congress of the Russian National League, Brussels 1951 April 15

box 3, folder 4-5

1952

box 3, folder 6

1953

 

1956

box 3, folder 7

General

box 3, folder 8-9

Second Congress of the Russian National League 1956 September 13-16.

Scope and Contents note

Includes list of delegates, program, resolution, communiqué, and correspondence
box 3, folder 10

Press release

 

1957

box 3, folder 11

General

 

Materials of the Congress on Rights and Freedom in Russia, Hague 1957 April 25-27

box 3, folder 12

General

 

Publications

box 3, folder 13

Congrès pour l'instauration de la libertè et des droits en Russie, compte-rendu analytique.

box 3, folder 14

Kongress Za prava i svobodu v Rossii, sbornik materialov Kongressa (Congress For the Rights and Freedom in Russia, compiled documents).

box 4, folder 1

1958

box 4, folder 2

1959

box 4, folder 3

1960

box 4, folder 4

1961

box 4, folder 5

1962

box 4, folder 6

1963

box 4, folder 7

1964

box 4, folder 8

1965

box 4, folder 9

1966

box 4, folder 10-11

1967.

Scope and Contents note

Includes list of events (in Brussels and Paris) commemorating 50th anniversary of the victory of the Russian revolution, 1967. Includes extensive correspondence and minutes of meetings
box 4, folder 12

1968

box 4, folder 13

1969

box 4, folder 14

1970

box 4, folder 15

1971

box 4, folder 16

1972

box 4, folder 17

1973

box 4, folder 18

1974

box 4, folder 19

1975

box 4, folder 20

1977

box 4, folder 21

1978

box 4, folder 22

1979

box 4, folder 23-24

Reports for meetings Mostly undated.

Scope and Contents note

Includes reports dated 1956 and 1970
 

Russian émigré community, materials on unification.

box 4, folder 25

General 1952-1979

box 5, folder 1

General 1952-1979

box 5, folder 2

League of Russian Veterans, subsidies 1958-1967

box 5, folder 3

Oppression of religion in the USSR 1961

Scope and Contents note

Includes correspondence and resolution
box 5, folder 4

Petition to free families of Agatov and Soitu from the USSR 1975

Scope and Contents note

Includes correspondence
box 5, folder 5

Chasovoi (Watchman) magazine, materials on financial hardship of publication and distribution 1974-1981

box 5, folder 6-8

Kidnapping in Paris of Russian Generals Evgenii Miller and Aleksandr Kutepov 1937-1962.

Scope and Contents note

Includes correspondence and testimonials
 

Publications 1945-1982.

Scope and Contents note

Booklets, reports, information bulletins, press releases, and surveys, arranged chronologically by physical form
 

General

box 5, folder 9

Russkii korpus (Russian Corps), promotion booklet undated

box 5, folder 10

Za prava i svobodu v Rossii, (For the Rights and Freedom in Russia) undated.

Scope and Contents note

Printed matter
box 5, folder 11

Kto on? (Who is He?) undated

box 5, folder 12

Baikalov, A. V., Programma meropriiatii na perekhodnyi period – v poriadke obsuzhdeniia (Program of Action for the Transition Period – as a matter of discussion) undated

box 5, folder 13

Likhnovskii, Duke, Kto viniovnik voiny 1914 goda? (Who is responsible for the War of 1914?) undated

box 5, folder 14

George, Thomas, Decision Will be in Asia, excerpts from his book, translated into Russian undated.

Scope and Contents note

Typescript
box 5, folder 15

Arian, A., Le Problème Ukrainien undated

box 5, folder 16

White, William L., Reportage sur les Russes (Report on the Russians, unique revelation of life in the Soviet Union, The Reader's Digest 1945 February

box 5, folder 17

Press releases 1956-1970

box 5, folder 18

Vestnik Rossiiskogo Natsional'nogo Ob'edineniia v SHvetsii (Bulletin of the Russian National League in Sweden), Stockholm, 1957, number 16

box 5, folder 19

Cinquante ans de communisme en Russie, 1917-1967, èditè par Comitè de l'Emigration Nationale Russe en Belgique 1967

box 5, folder 20

100e anniversaire de la naissance de Lenine, publiè par le Comitè de l'Emigration Nationale Russe en Belgique 1970

 

Sviaz' (Connection), monthly bulletin of Russian workers in Belgium

box 5, folder 21

1949,

Scope and Contents note

number 1, December
box 5, folder 22

1950,

Scope and Contents note

number 2-8; number 1-3
box 5, folder 23

1951,

Scope and Contents note

number 4-14
box 5, folder 24

1952.

Scope and Contents note

number 15-26 Includes two special issues on the Congress of the Russian National League
box 6, folder 1

1953,

Scope and Contents note

number 27-36
box 6, folder 2

1954,

Scope and Contents note

number 37-46
box 6, folder 3

1955,

Scope and Contents note

number 47-55
box 6, folder 4

1956,

Scope and Contents note

number 56-65
box 6, folder 5

1957,

Scope and Contents note

number 66-71
box 6, folder 6

1958,

Scope and Contents note

number 72-79
box 6, folder 7

1959,

Scope and Contents note

number 80-87
box 6, folder 8

1960,

Scope and Contents note

number 88-95
box 6, folder 9

1961,

Scope and Contents note

number 96-105
box 6, folder 10

1962,

Scope and Contents note

number 106-114
box 6, folder 11

1963,

Scope and Contents note

number 116-121
box 6, folder 12

1964,

Scope and Contents note

number 122-133
box 6, folder 13

1965,

Scope and Contents note

number 134-142
box 6, folder 14

1966,

Scope and Contents note

number 143-152
box 6, folder 15

1967,

Scope and Contents note

number 153-163
box 6, folder 16

1968,

Scope and Contents note

number 164-175
box 6, folder 17

1969,

Scope and Contents note

number 176-184
box 6, folder 18

1970,

Scope and Contents note

number 185-195
box 6, folder 19

1971,

Scope and Contents note

number 196-204
box 6, folder 20

1972,

Scope and Contents note

number 205-216
box 6, folder 21

1973,

Scope and Contents note

number 217-228
box 6, folder 22

1974,

Scope and Contents note

number 229-240
box 6, folder 23

1975,

Scope and Contents note

number 241-252
box 6, folder 24

1976,

Scope and Contents note

number 255-260
box 6, folder 25

1977,

Scope and Contents note

number 261-266
box 6, folder 26

1978,

Scope and Contents note

number 269-273
box 6, folder 27

1979,

Scope and Contents note

number 274-280
box 6, folder 28

1980,

Scope and Contents note

number 281-290
box 6, folder 29

1981,

Scope and Contents note

number 291-296
box 6, folder 30

1982,

Scope and Contents note

Number 297, January-February
box 6, folder 31

Bulletin of the Russian National League in Japan 1957

box 6, folder 32

Information Bulletin of the Russian National League in Great Britain 1956-1957.

Scope and Contents note

Includes statute and news
box 6, folder 33

Radio broadcasts, Russian section, Spanish radio, Madrid 1937, 1961

 

Printed matter 1926-1980.

Scope and Contents note

Newspapers, newspaper clippings, and scrapbooks, arranged by physical form
box 7, folder 1

Newspapers. Raduga (Rainbow), Brussels (Belgium), 1946, numbers 1-8.

 

Clippings.

Scope and Contents note

Includes two scrapbooks
box 7, folder 2

1926-1927

box 7, folder 3

1937-1965

box 7, folder 4

1952

box 7, folder 5

1954-1955, 1977.

box 7, folder 6

1959-1964

box 7, folder 7

1970

box 7, folder 8

1979-1980

 

Scrapbooks

box 7, folder 9

undated

box 7, folder 10

1956-1957

 

Cultural life of the Russian émigré community in Belgium 1949-1979.

Scope and Contents note

Concert programs, advertisements, leaflets, invitations, arranged chronologically by physical form
box 7, folder 11

General. Concert programs, advertisements, leaflets, invitations 1949-1962

box 7, folder 12

Russian opera performance 1951 October 16

 

Russian book exhibits, Brussels

box 7, folder 13

1972-1973.

Scope and Contents note

Includes extensive correspondence
box 7, folder 14

1973 December 14-16

box 7, folder 15

1977 November 18-20

box 7, folder 16

1979 December 14-16

 

Photographs 1939-1956

 

Russian National League member's portraits, 5 prints undated

 

Russian émigrés' group portraits, 7 prints undated.

Scope and Contents note

2 of them dated 1949
 

Russian house in Brussels (Belgium), 2 prints undated

 

Monument to the unknown soldier, 4 prints undated

 

Memorial services to the Russian soldiers, 4 prints undated

 

First Congress of the Russian National League, 3 prints 1951

 

Second Congress of the Russian National League, 2 prints 1956

 

Children's life in the Russian émigré community, 5 prints undated

 

Russian soldiers in Spanish Army of General Franko, 2 prints circa late 1930th

 

Finno-Russian War, scenes from, 4 prints 1939

 

Miscellany (Financial records) 1955-1977

 

Oversize box undated

 

Fabric banners

box 8

No one has the right to excuse you from executing your duty to the Motherland undated

box 8

Only in fighting do we obtain our freedom undated

box 8

Russian book exhibits, advertisements undated