The problem of adaptation of the Russian emigrants of the first wave in Czechoslovakia: the language aspect

Nowadays there exist many works dedicated to the Russian Abroad and its multifaceted cultural heritage. The Russian documentary historical and cultural legacy brought by Russian emigrants is the most striking evidence of the spirituality of the Russian emigration; it also demonstrates its significance in preserving the national unity in the emigrant community. Moreover, by reviewing those sources, we can evaluate the role of the Russian emigration in maintaining the historical traditions of the Russian Diaspora. This article will analyze the data connected with the language adaptation of the Russian emigrants of the first wave in the First Republic of Czechoslovakia; it is this aspect that can allow us a deeper look at all the aspects of emigration, as well as provide a possibility to learn about the everyday life of our compatriots in a foreign land. The aim of the research is to study the linguistic adaptation of the Russian emigrants in Czechoslovakia in the interwar period, to reveal their attitude towards the necessity to learn the Czech and Slovak languages and to analyze the methods of mastering those languages. As a result of the study, the author comes to the conclusion that not all emigrants wanted to learn the Czech and Slovak languages; they did not see any need for that, since they were confident they would return to their motherland. However, over time and with no hope of returning, the emigrants who had remained in Czechoslovakia started displaying a growing interest in learning the language and culture of the host country that was to become their second motherland.

1. Burke, P. (2004), Languages and Communities in Early Modern Europe, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.

2. Inov, I.V. (2005), “Tomash Garrig Masarik i russkie pisateli i zhurnalisty” [Tomash Gar-rig Masaryk and Russian writers and journalists], in M.G. Vandalkovskaya (ed.), T.G. Masarik i “russkaya aktsiya” chekhoslovatskogo pravitel’stva: k 150-letiyu so dnya rozhdeniya T.G. Masarika: Po materialam mezhdunarodnoi nauchnoi konferent-sii [T.G. Masaryk and the “Russian action” of the Czechoslovak government: to the 150th anniversary of the birth of T.G. Masaryk. Proceedings of the international conference], Moscow, Russia, pp. 75-87. (Biblioteka-fond “Russkoe zarubezh’e”: materialy i issledovaniya, vyp. 5)

3. Firsov, E.F. (1997) Opyt demokratii v CHSR pri Tomashe Masarike: koalicionnyi plyural-izm (1928-1934) [Democracy experience in the Czechoslovak Republic under Tomas Masaryk: coalition pluralism], Institut slavyanovedeniya I balkanistiki RAN, Moscow, Russia.

4. Glanc, T. (2003), Trva to celou vecnost! [It takes forever!], Mala Skala, Praha, Czhech Republic.

5. Heidegger, M. (1997), Being and Time, Ad Marginem, Moscow, Russia.

6. Kovalev, M.V. (2014), Povsednevnaya zhizn’ rossiiskoi emigratsii v Prage v 1920-1930-e gody: istoricheskie ocherki [Everyday life of Russian emigration in Prague in the 1920s and 1930s: historical essays], Saratov State Technical University named after Yu.A. Gagarin, Saratov, Russia.

7. Raev, M. (1994), Rossiya za rubezhom. Istoriya kultury russkoi emigratsii 1919-1939 [Russia abroad. The history of the culture of the Russian emigration 1919-1939], Progress-Academiya, Moscow, Russia.

8. Reitman, M. (1999), Znamenitye emigranty iz Rossii [Famous emigrants from Russia], Feniks, Rostov-on-Don, Russia.

9. Serapionova, E.P. (2006), Karel Kramarzh i Rossiya. 1890–1937 gody: ideinye vozzreniya, politicheskaya aktivnost’, svyazi s rossiiskimi gosudarstvennymi i obshchestvennymi deyatelyami [Karel Kramarge and Russia. 1890–1937: ideological views, political activity, communication with Russian state and public figures], Nauka, Moscow, Russia.

10. Shkarenkov, L.K. (1987), Agoniya beloi emigracii [The agony of white emigration], Mysl’, Moscow, Russia.

11. Sokolov, A.G. (1991), Sud’by russkoi literaturnoi ehmigratsii v 1920-kh gg. [The fate of the Russian literary emigration in the 1920s], Izdatel’stvo Moskovskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta, Moscow, Russia.