On April 27 – 28 of 2018 the Association of Russian Culture and Education of Alanya (Turkey) organized an International Science-to-practice Conference on Russian Emigration in Turkey in Early 20th Century: Gallipoli Stand. At the opening ceremony of the conference, also featuring a Russian Emigration in Turkey photo exhibition, speeches were delivered by the Ambassador of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Turkey Aleksey Erkhov, and Rector of Alanya Hamdullah Emin Pasa University, Professor Mehmet Durdu Öner.
Working sessions of the conference were opened by Professor of the Department of Russian and International History of the Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities of South Ural State University Evgeny Volkov with his presentation on Russian Breath of Gallipoli: First Literary Works on White Russian Troops in Turkey. Moreover, at the conference held at AHEP University presentations were delivered by researchers from Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Belgrade, Istanbul, Tallinn, and Prague. Many presentations were dedicated to the history of the “first wave” of Russian emigrants in Turkey, and first of all to the stay of the White Russian Troops of General P.N. Wrangel evacuated here from Crimea. Here, on the territory of Gallipoli Peninsula, the camp of the White Russian Troops and civil refugees was located starting from November of 1920 and during a year and a half. With the support from the French government and organizations of the American and Belgian Red Cross, Russian emigrants managed to survive in difficult conditions in a foreign country, and later move to the countries of Europe, South and North America. A small part of the Russian emigrants stayed in Turkey, mostly in Istanbul. Russian emigrants made a significant influence on the cultural life of Istanbul, where theaters, clubs, cinema theaters, restaurants and other establishments opened, and where Russian language could be heard.
This conference became the first experience of holding such scientific forums in Turkey.
.JPG)