The end of World War II led to the last exodus of Russian emigration from the Far East. In Harbin, Beijing, Tientsin, Shanghai, and Tsingtao, meetings were organized at which Soviet representatives declared that after the victory over the external enemy, there was no longer a division between Soviet and emigrants, everyone was Russian, and it was the duty of every Russian to be on their own land now to help restore the destruction caused by the war. However, letters from the USSR from those who managed to go there earlier, led to the fact that the number of people wishing to repatriate quickly began to decline.

The basis for the departure of the Russians was laid by the Japanese occupation of China.".."However, the newcomers from the island empire could not do without foreign, in particular, Russian labor," P. Lidin wrote. - We needed specialists and people for those positions where the rulers of the Shanghai destinies - the Japanese-did not go. Russian emigrants were also granted access to lower and some middle-level positions. However, by the end of the war, the economic situation of the Russian emigration began to be threatening. Unemployment among Russians has increased. And one of its most striking symptoms was the fact that shortly before the Japanese occupation, several hundred Russians, including journalists, artists, and former municipal employees, were forced to join the road protection detachments recruited by the Japanese in Northern China, Mongolia (in the United States), in search of a way out of their plight, the grip of unemployment. Kalgan district). For some of them, this epic ended sadly, and for many, a very difficult situation was created in search of a place where they could literally lay their heads. " ¹

After the end of World War II, the situation of Russian emigration changed somewhat. Of the total number of emigrants (about 15 thousand), two-thirds had Soviet citizenship. At the same time, everyone was united by uncertainty in the future, and most of them wanted to go to America. The threatening situation with the Russian community in Shanghai caused emigrants to appeal to the US authorities. "Day after day," wrote representatives of the community, " for more than two months now, vile provocation and lies have been pouring out strongly against emigration, and no one will stop them, no one will stop them. There is no emigrant press, it was, but it was closed by order of the authorities. Reopening requires a large amount of money, and the situation is uncertain. Thanks to this, the lies and provocations of the Soviet press are not refuted by anyone and, consequently, are introduced into the minds of the reader and create an uneasy and dangerous situation. " ² As a measure, it was suggested:" For the Russian emigrant colony, mass resettlement to America, Canada and Australia, where emigrants could engage in peaceful labor, would be the best way out of this situation. " ³

Khisamutdinov Amir Aleksandrovich-Candidate of Historical Sciences, Professor, Moscow, Vladivostok.

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At this time, the Club of Soviet Citizens was reorganized and the charter of the Society of Soviet Citizens in Shanghai was developed. There was a division into groups in material terms. Entrepreneurs lived very well, employees had a good income, and charity organizations helped the poor. Prior to 1946, there was discrimination in the receipt of wages by persons of different nationalities. Often skilled Russian workers received less for their work than the British or French, although more than the Chinese. As a rule, they were not given long-term vacations, were often treated with disdain, were put on night shifts, or were given unprofitable contracts ^.4

American troops began withdrawing from Shanghai in July 1946. This was the reason for the further deterioration of the situation of the Russians. But the repatriation made great adjustments to the financial situation of the Russian emigration. It contributed to the fact that enterprises with foreign capital began to lose the best employees, which greatly affected production. There was an acute shortage of qualified workers in the labor market. Only then did the owners begin to offer Russians a substantial salary increase or contracts with favorable conditions. "Some people have justly expressed their surprise at the fact that the owners did not think to create such working conditions during the long past years..." ⁵ .

The last year of activity of the Russian emigration in Shanghai should be considered 1949. "Everyone was even amazed," an eyewitness wrote. - In the current situation, Shanghai is under martial law, and you can only appear on the streets until 10.30 am. in the evening, and if you go outside later, you will end up in a Chinese "jail", which no one likes. Nevertheless, in almost every Russian apartment, both Christmas and New Year were cheerfully greeted with libations and snacks, as if "nothing had happened." The officers ' meeting even chose a special permit from the police to celebrate the New Year. The Chinese allowed it, but on condition that no one leaves the room until 5 a.m. and all the windows of the meeting will be darkened. It is original to note that on Russian Christmas on January 7, a lot of Christmas trees and products were sold in Shanghai, since Russians celebrated their Orthodox holiday "in Russian" in Shanghai, in which many lived for 25 years... and many were born there... " ⁶ .

The approach of the Chinese People's Liberation Army to Shanghai caused great panic among foreigners. Everyone who had connections tried to get visas and leave. For those who didn't have the chance, there was only one thing left - to go with the general group. Preparatory work began in late 1948, and evacuation began in early 1949.7 The last steamer from Shanghai to the Philippines arrived on May 20, 1949. "The urgent evacuation of foreigners from Shanghai is also our excuse, Russian emigrants and emigrants of other nationalities. We, despite all the persuasions of the dark forces, were not tempted by tempting offers, but preferred the jungle to everything, and in this regard we found full support in the person of the International Organization for Refugee Assistance. " ⁸

Novaya Zarya responded to the departure of Russian emigrants to Tubabao as follows: "They remembered and will always remember that out of all the countries of the world, so far only the Philippines has responded to the call of the IRO - agreed to provide temporary hospitality on their islands. Harboring an undeserved grudge, they were under no illusions about the living conditions on the semi-uninhabited island beneath the tropics. The Philippine Government itself also seems to have been well aware of the hardships and hardships that Chinese newcomers will inevitably face, which is why it limited their stay to four months, and the International Organization for Refugee Assistance, in turn, solemnly promised the Philippine government to resettle the Far Eastern Children in other countries where they can be found. they would be able to earn a piece of bread by honest labor and lead a tolerable human life. " ⁹ At that time, no one suspected that this temporary life would stretch out for almost four years instead of four months.

In total, about 6,000 emigrants were taken out by sea and by air. The last steamer, the Haven, took almost 600 people on board in Shanghai ^.10 The passengers were mostly people with Chinese foreign passports or IRO cards. Before obtaining a Philippine visa, all expats were required to fill out questionnaires and pass an interview. They were allowed to take 60 pounds by plane and 450 pounds of luggage by sea.

"For the first few days," an eyewitness wrote, " we were waiting in lines for our turn to fill out detailed questionnaires, which were required of us by Philippine customs, immigration authorities, intelligence and counterintelligence agencies. In addition to answering questions about ourselves, we had to share the following information:-

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find out what we know about our relatives in the USSR - if any. In addition, each Tubaba resident was weighed, photographed, his height measured, and his fingerprints taken... " ¹¹ .

O. Morozova, a well-known writer in Russian China, also made the following observations: "Upon arrival in Tubabao, we fell into a vicious circle: we were completely deprived of the opportunity to take any measures on our own in order to arrange our future fate, because for some reason the issue was completely transferred to the Migration Department of the IRO, which, without being interested in our desire and our personal capabilities, simply points us where to go. we have to sign up, and if they refuse, they threaten us with all sorts of reprisals. What to do for those who are more than forty years old? Where can they expect to move to? " ¹² .

A curfew was observed in the camp. "On weekdays, we had to be in our tents by ten o'clock in the evening, and on Saturdays and Sundays - by eleven. Our progress was limited to the camp's territory, but sometimes we were allowed to take small groups on day trips to the nearest town of Gyuyan, using special passes issued by the Philippine Security Service. Unauthorized access to the camp was restricted, but immediately outside the camp, local merchants were allowed to open a small cafe-restaurant, shops and stalls. " ¹³ The administration divided the entire territory into 16 districts, each with more than 300 residents. In the first districts lived emigrants who arrived earlier, in the 16th-the last. Three districts, in addition to the number, also had their own names: the 4th was scout, the 8th-presidential and the 11th-musician. In the "presidential" there was an office, and the head of the Russian emigration, G. K. Bologoe, and his assistants also lived here. Each district had a leader, and the entire camp had its own police, which ensured order in the camp and in the first months numbered about 200 people. Its first chief was P. K. Poronik. After he emigrated to Australia, his place was taken by R. A. Chernosvitov.

By October 1949, ten kitchens with storerooms, ten boilers were built in Tubabao, a hospital, sanatorium, pharmacy were opened, a dental office, a medical unit and a fire brigade were equipped, several schools and a kindergarten, courses were created to study English and Spanish, to train accountants, stenographers, etc. ¹⁴ .

The camp had strict postal censorship and its own court of arbitration. The first court hearing, which took place on April 13, 1949, was indicative. We were hearing a case about a local post office manager who, after taking twice as much money as was required, simply threw out the letters. Several hundred such letters, which Tubaba residents called "suicide bombers", were found.

The Control and Monitoring Commission compiled secret lists of emigrants who had to be denied a visa to the United States. At first, the mood among tubobaovtsy was high, but later it began to decline. Rumors spread, and there were frequent cases of snitching. By August 1950, a US commission arrived on the island, which began to deal with those wishing to immigrate to this country. Many of those who wanted to go to the United States and did not receive a visa went to Australia or South American countries.

Several churches were opened in the camp. The largest, Orthodox, which was called Mikhailovskaya, was placed in a large tent with holes in it. Inside it was very uncomfortable, the iconostasis was not very beautiful, as there were no large icons. Instead of bells, there were empty cans. The smaller church, located in the First District, was called Serafimovskaya. It was served by Father Athanasius, the former rector of the Seraphim Church in Tianjin. The Uniate parish was headed by Fyodor Wilcock, former director of a Catholic college in Shanghai.

"Some did not survive the living conditions and committed suicide, others experienced serious illnesses, suffered from poor food, a lot of trouble from denunciations, the number of which is estimated at nine thousand, fears of reptiles and typhoons. But not everyone saw life on Tubabao as the torture of living in leaky tents. Everything must have depended on the strength of nerves and character. " ¹⁵

Despite numerous problems, the spiritual and cultural life developed in the refugee camp. Over time, thanks to Bishop John of Shanghai, the Holy Mother of God Cathedral was opened, which was placed on the highest place, offering a beautiful view of the sea and the nearest forest. Near the cathedral, which had real bells, a small wooden house was built, in which three priests lived.

The need for spiritual communication forced emigrants to open a historical and literary circle. The main job in it was to read popular lectures-

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functions. Professor Putyata, for example, gave a report on Gogol, and Professor Golovachev and military historian Filimonov repeatedly gave lectures. This association did not have a charter, and its main goal was to organize meetings for people to communicate.

The initiator of the theater was S. L. Uralov, who assembled the first troupe. In the beginning, she put on small miniatures, and the first theater platform was a place where movies were played in the evenings. After some time, a theater association was formed, which was divided into three sections: drama (Ural), operetta (Slavyansky) and ballet (Shevlyugin). N. Slavyansky wrote:: "In our difficult and sad days on Tubabao, the existence of the theater is invigorating, gives faith in the future, brightens the bitterness of the present and proves that, despite everything, we are whole, united in our aspirations and not broken by trials." ¹⁶ Members of the theater association played both classics and plays by local authors, for example, O. Skopichenko. Concerts were often held. In connection with the 150th anniversary of the birth of Alexander Pushkin, a big evening was held at the camp.

Artists also worked actively. On April 4, 1950, an exhibition and sale of works by local artists was opened. Among the 400 works, there were quite a few interesting ones. Most of the paintings were exhibited by A. A. Karamzin. Almost all of his paintings were dedicated to Russia. He was particularly good at depicting horses, most likely because he had been a cavalry officer in the past. Landscapes and portraits by V. N. Osipov attracted attention. Especially popular were N. A. Pikulevich's watercolors, which many people bought as a memento of their stay in Tubabao, but A. V. Petrov's works did not sell out very much. Although they were of excellent quality, they were expensive.

The refugee camp on Tubabao also had its own periodical: "Weekly Review", the weekly "Tubabao Knows", the anti-communist collection edited by A. V. Skripkin "Our Voice" and several scout leaflets.

The publishers of the newspaper Tubabao Knows noted in the first issue:" The aim of our publication is to provide as accurate and truthful information as possible on the most interesting issues of all, namely camp news, that is, what we have in the present, issues of further resettlement, that is, our future and what is happening in the world, that is what our present and future depend on " ¹⁷ .

The editor of the Weekly Review was A. Skripkin, who considered one of the main tasks to be "to provide the campers with the opportunity to openly express their thoughts, so that the voice of the protester is not the voice of the one crying in the desert, so that on our pages they find an answer to their questions, so that the camp administration has the opportunity to explain or the unfounded nature of any rumors " ¹⁸ . A lot of problems were caused by outdated materials and meaningless notes of amateur authors. The big problem was finding a paper to publish or solving financial issues ¹⁹ .

Once the President of the Philippines visited a camp with Russian refugees. A brief speech was delivered by G. K. Bolotov, who presented the guest of honor with a welcome address, which was enclosed in a luxurious leather folder. On it was placed a chased portrait on silver of the president himself, painted by the artist Karamzin, and the vignette was executed by Yaron. Then the president was presented with bread and salt on an artistic platter, artfully executed by the artist Pikulevich, and an antique salt shaker was brought back from Russia. These gifts were later placed in a museum in Manila. In his response, the president promised to continue to provide Russians with residence in Tubabao.

In May 1949, the first group of Russian emigrants left for Australia. "All those who have left," wrote Nash Vestnik, " are full of the brightest hopes for the future, and God grant that their hopes may be fully realized. Now it is the turn of the second group, which, presumably, will not stay here for long and will also go with a light heart to unknown shores. Leaving for Australia is a fact of deep significance, and it has brought with it moral satisfaction to those who remain in the camp, as well as the belief that the refugees on Tubabao are not forgotten. " ²⁰

As soon as the United States became aware of the plight of the Russian diaspora in China, several public associations were immediately founded there, which aimed to help refugees in Tubabao. In June 1950, the Federation of Russian Charitable Organizations was established, and in February 1951, its leaders summed up the first results. "During these five months," wrote the chairman N. V. Borzov , " we have issued about 500 ashurans (insurance, financial support - A. Kh.) and have already met, transferred them to sponsors, placed and arranged for the work of oko-

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more than 1,000 people were killed, and several hundred individuals were assisted in their efforts before the US Government. " ²¹

There was also an Association of relatives and Friends from the Far East, which began to provide all possible assistance to emigrants. Members of the Association appealed to the Union of Christian Churches, the U.S. government, and the United Nations, which later enabled many Chinese immigrants to move to the United States.

The first country to invite Russians was Australia. It required men under 50 and women under 35 who were willing to sign a work contract. Australia was followed by offers from Paraguay and other South American countries. The issue of temporary accommodation of emigrants in Japan was also positively resolved. The first flow of Russian emigrants to the United States was insignificant - only those who had relatives or close friends there who agreed not only to pay for travel, but also to ensure the existence of new arrivals at first left. When the Korean war began in 1950, a group of volunteers offered their services in the fight against communism. In August 1950, an American commission arrived, which began to register those who wanted to move to the United States.

By September 1950, 1,660 people had emigrated to different countries: Australia, 188 to Paraguay, 223 to San Domingo, 32 to Suriname, 40 to France, 20 to Turkey, 41 to Argentina, 6 to Chile, 1 to Brazil, and 620 to the United States. 209 people left Tubabao at their own expense. ²². On June 14, 1951, a third steamer carrying Russians from Tubabao arrived in San Francisco. At the pier, they were met by relatives and representatives of public and charitable organizations ²³ .

By the summer of 1951, a small group of emigrants remained on Tubabao, mostly those who were unable to leave for other countries or were ill with chronic diseases, such as tuberculosis. There were about 125 such patients. The last head of the camp, Monk Modest, wrote: "It is difficult to say what we will need in terms of need. The food here in the sanatorium is quite passable, there is no need to complain, and to improve the nutrition for patients, this is hardly possible. The island is deserted, there is nothing of its own here, it is not easy to deliver fresh garden vegetables here. It's a little difficult with the medicine..." ²⁴ .

Among those who remained on the island, there were many who during the Second World War expressed open sympathy for the USSR, "... these are those to whom the Russian public does not want to give ashurans as a punishment for their delusions in 1945-47, for 'anti-patriotism'... They are not allowed anywhere, because they are branded by their own compatriots. Their situation is supertragic...." ²⁵ . This period was characterized by a huge number of suicides among refugees. In particular, the talented civil war historian B. B. Filimonov committed suicide ^.26

The latest edition of tubabaovtsy was "Leaflet-a call to a new life". It appeared after the last mass group of emigrants in the number of 490 people was loaded onto an American transport. : "We will never forget that momentous moment when, after thirty-three years of wandering along our path of exile, we entered a piece of American territory by transport" Gen. Black" and having met with a wonderful fraternal attitude from the command staff and other members of the team, we realized that the flag under which we make our journey will give us the right to a place in the sun, a decent human existence and a sacred right to work " ²⁷.

In the spring of 1953, the last Russian left the Philippines ²⁸ .

----- Notes

1. Hoover Inst. Nikolaevsky B. I. V. 750 (Gorchakov N. N.-Lydia N. Under the Japanese clamp: A letter from Shanghai. The manuscript. 1946, l. 2-3).

2. Museum of Russian Culture (San Francisco). Collection of A. S. Lukashkin. B, 17, f. 2 (Representatives of the Russian Emigrant Association. Memorandum on the disastrous situation of Russian white emigrants in Shanghai. April 1946), l. 1.

3. Ibid., l. 2-3.

4. A Khabarovsk cadet. Life in Shanghai-Russian Life, San Francisco, 1947, January 18.

5. When Russian labor received a fair evaluation in Shanghai-New Dawn, San Francisco, 1947, October 16.

6. POTLOV V. P. The last days in Shanghai-New Dawn, 1949, January 15.

7. Newsletters. - San Francisco, 1953, N 1,2, b. s.

8. Shanghai is agonizing... - Our Voice, Shanghai, 1949, April 29.

9. To the editorial office of Novaya Zarya. - Novaya Zarya, 1949, April 27.

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10. They can't Leave-Russkaya Zhizn, 1949, May 3.

P. Museum of Russian Culture. Collected by O. A. Morozova. Notes (diary) about Tubabao, V. 3, l. 29.

12. Ibid., l. 105.

13. V. MORAVSKY Tubabao Island. 1949-51 The last refuge of the Russian Far Eastern emigration - Russians in Asia, 1997, N 4, pp. 271-272.

14. Museum of Russian Culture. Collected by O. A. Morozova. Notes (diary) about Tubabao, V. 3, L. 175.

15. K. GEORGE. Exodus of Russians from China-New Dawn, 1964, February 28.

16. SLAVYANSKY N. About the local theater-Weekly Review, 1949, N 1.

17. From the editorial office. 1949, n 1, b. s.

18. SKRIPKIN A. Nashi zadachi - Nezhedelnoe obozrenie [Our Tasks-Weekly Review], 1949, No. 1.

19. How we Make our Newspaper-Weekly Review, 1950, January.

20. Gratifying phenomenon-Our voice, 1949, May 29.

21. Museum of Russian Culture. Sobr. Rus. charity, organizations in the USA, box. 3.

22. Museum of Russian Culture. Collected by O. A. Morozova. Notes (diary) about Tubabao, v. 3, l. 279.

23. DROZDOV P. Arrival of the third steamer with 490 Tubabaovo emigrants-Russkaya Zhizn, 1951, June 15.

24. Museum of Russian Culture. Collection of the Business Commission for Helping Russians, v. 1, f. 8.

25. ZAGORSKY V. Vesti s Tubabao-Russkaya zhizn, 1951, July 17.

26. FILIMONOV Boris Borisovich (January 15, 1901, Irkutsk - July 12, 1952, Philippines). Born in a military family. He graduated from the Pskov Cadet Corps. In 1917, he participated as a volunteer in the First World War. As a member of the cadet detachment, he participated in the Civil War (Perm Front). He graduated from the 1st Artillery School, second lieutenant. Participated in battles with Soviet partisans and in the Khabarovsk campaign. Lieutenant (born 1919). Lived in Shanghai since 1923. Since 1924, he worked in the Kunst and Albers trading house. After being refused a visa to the United States, he committed suicide.

27. K novaya zhizni-To new life, ed. by A. Skripkin. Board of transport "General W. M. Black", 1951, N 1.

28. Another 20 years passed away... - Novaya Zarya, 1971, January 23.

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