The role of the Orthodox Church in the formation of the White emigrant diaspora in the south of France in 1920–1945

Abstract

The 1917 Revolution and Russian Civil War brought an end to the “Belle Epoque” of the Russian aristocratic colony in the south of France, turning the Côte d’Azur into a place of exile. The interwar period was a time of difficult trials, social and religious schism, spiritual and cultural renaissance, an era when the Orthodox faith took central importance in the lives and destinies of Russian emigrants. This article examines the role of the church in the life of white emigration in the southern regions of France. The change of eras led to an inevitable transformation of the Russian diaspora and Orthodox parishes abroad. Finding themselves in exile, the emigrants sought to recreate their lost home in conditions alien to themselves, preserve Russian national identity and pass it on to the younger generation; they were in difficult conditions requiring solidarity and mutual assistance. The Orthodox Church, being an integral part of the emigrant diaspora, experienced trials with its flock; the church played a key role not only in the spiritual life of the community, but was a sociocultural center, affecting various spheres of life of a Russian emigrant in the south of France, starting from education, it was at Orthodox parishes that Thursday schools were opened for the children of emigrants, ending with the organization of charitable activities, in other words, the church was the place around which the life of the community was built.

Keywords:

Russian Church Abroad, white emigration, France, Provence, Russian diaspora, Karlovci Schism, Metropolitan Eulogius