Czechs and Slovaks in Russia in the late 19th — early 20th centuries: A view of a modern historian

Abstract

Another monograph prepared by the famous Russian historian, specialist in Bohemian Studies E. P. Serapionova, dedicated to the Czechs and Slovaks in the Russian Empire in the late 19th — early 20th centuries, is an important publication in Slavic studies in Russia. The monograph, which has mostly a review character, takes fully into account the whole extensive historiography on this topic, including both the works of domestic historians and the works of Czech and Slovak researchers. The monograph, which has a solid source base, including a number of previously unused archival materials, analyzes in detail the initial stage of the migration of Czechs and Slovaks to Russia, starting from the Middle Ages. Justifiably, the author paid great attention to migration processes in the 19th century, when, for a number of reasons, the migration influx of Czechs and Slovaks to the Russian Empire increased sharply. E. P. Serapionova analyzes in detail the reasons for the migration of Czechs and Slovaks to Russia, emphasizing that among the reasons for the emigration of Czechs and Slovaks to Russia there were both political and religious ones, but economic considerations noticeably prevailed. The monograph reflects the active cultural and social life of the Czech colonies in Russia. The author separately explores and identifies the specifics of the Czech communities in Volhynia, Crimea and the North Caucasus, as well as in large cities of the Russian Empire, noting the active participation of Czechs in the sports movement and in the neo-Slavic movement at the turn of the 20th century. In general, the study of E. P. Serapionova is a successful continuation of the already existing extensive historiographical tradition. It represents a valuable contribution to the study of Russia’s relations with the Czechs and the Slovaks.