Returning for the death: how Stalin "forgave" white emigrants

Returning for the death: how Stalin "forgave" white emigrants
Returning for the death: how Stalin "forgave" white emigrants
15 October 2020, 17:17Society
Of the several thousand members of the white movement, whom Stalin invited to return to their homeland in 1946, only a few survived.

Nadezhda Kutepova, a civic activist who had to leave Russia several years ago due to persecution by the authorities and now lives in France, published a post about what she accidentally found, bought and read French journalist Nicolas Jayot "In the Stalinist trap" (Piegés par Staline). This investigation was published in France back in 2003, but has not been translated in Russia. It tells how, in 1946, Stalin called out to white emigrants living in France to return to their homeland:

“The White Guard simply melted, it turns out that they haven't unpacked their suitcases since the 21st year, and the war with Hitler was perceived as a democracy in the USSR. The embassy organized receptions for white emigrants and showed films about what a wonderful life awaits them: a worker, a collective farmer and others like them. The Russian Orthodox Church, which fell for the words in Stalin's 1941 address “brothers and sisters” instead of “comrades”, having thought of a return to the origins in them, quite sincerely also joined in the processing.

Approximately 8 thousand people believed. Taking their children born in France (many did not speak Russian), as well as their French wives, they all flooded, there is no other word, “home”. Of course, some of them go straight to the Gulag, some into exile, and the children to orphanages. The diplomats could not do anything, because the nostalgic abandoned the French documents and happily received a sickle.

Of these thousands, only 3 people are known who were able to return. The rest have sunk into oblivion. Moreover, they realized that they had been deceived when they were transferred to the borders in wagons with cattle, but nothing could be done. People did not understand why they were called and so cruelly dealt with them? And it was just revenge. When did Russia forgive those who left (if, of course, they were not the children of the leaders of state corporations (communist parties), who, as it were, are considered to be on an eternal business trip)?

This story is slightly touched upon in the film East-West with Oleg Menshikov, but the scale of the tragedy is not shown in it. Thousands of nostalgic people have dug a grave for themselves and their children, believing. The book I am reading was written and known only in French, no one will translate it, of course.

But for myself, I made the following conclusion. Never instill in the children you have taken away nostalgia for Russia. You took them away (gave birth in exile) and gave them a different society and a different life. All. Tell about the roots, love yourself, come back if you feel unbearable, but for them it's not the same thing. Children exported to Russia (USSR) from France never forgave their parents. A chill on my back from this book.

I found the book at a small flea market, in a tiny town in Brittany... by accident".


Recently, Nadezhda returned to this topic:

“I report on what has been done.

You, of course, remember my post about the book "In Stalin's Trap" about the tragic fate of the descendants of the Russian White emigration, which in 1946 was deceived and lured, (of course, to the Gulag where else) by the Soviet embassy in France. Today it is exactly 3 months since I wrote it, and more than 500 people have reposted it! So, really, the sore spot is not only for me. So, no later than yesterday, I finally reached the first goal, found and met with the author, journalist Nicolas Jaillot. Hooray!

Nicolas was very surprised at my sudden appearance, because his film was released back in 2002, and the book in 2003. And he was very glad that there was such an initiative to translate the book into Russian and publish it for the Russian reader. On my part, this is an absolutely volunteer initiative, I do this always when something touches my heart very close.

This story shocked me and I see unlearned lessons in it, it must be known to Russian citizens, primarily migrants of all stripes, varieties and incomes, so that their children do not fall into the traps carefully set all over the world by Russian consulates of the era of cannibals. Leaders - cannibals (“Bring your kids to me, I'll eat them today”), alas, we Russians get (choose) for ourselves quite often, so we need to prepare, because the forewarned is armed. And again, Grandfather is not going to leave, and the Russian consulates, directly no longer know what else to please him, except for the results of the vote and the heads of the descendants of the Russian emigration “who forgave everything for the Crimea,” from where they left 100 years ago.

The embassies are looking for new "kids". The next step is the hunt for the descendants of the "fresh" wave of emigration, so you know, no more, no less!

My next steps:

  1. search for a translator and funds for translation
  2. parallel search for a Russian publishing house

In case we fail to publish the book in paper form, Nicolas agreed to publish it in electronic form..."
