The Establishment of Latvian National Organizations in Krasnoyarsk, 1915-1916, as a Result of the Refugee Movement

Abstract

The article delves into the impact of the refugee movement during the First World War produced on the self-identity of Latvians living in the Yenisei Province. This research aims to explore the formation and operation of social institutions that encapsulated Latvian self-awareness. These institutions include the Bureau of the Authorized Representative of the Latvian Central Committee for Refugee Assistance in the Yenisei Province, and the Krasnoyarsk Latvian Charitable Society. During this era, the growing national consciousness among the Yenisei Province’s Latvians was evident through an uptick in cultural events, frequently conducted in the Latvian language and organized by Latvians for their community. The author posits that the surge in Latvian self-awareness stemmed from the refugee movements of the First World War. The imperative to support Latvian refugees – offering housing, job opportunities, clothing, financial aid, and more – precipitated the designation of the Authorized Representative and the subsequent establishment of the Bureau under its directory in 1915. This concerted effort to assist the refugees catalyzed the unification of the Latvian intelligentsia, culminating in the foundation of the Latvian national organization, the charitable society, in 1916. The author underscores that the rise of Latvian civic organizations aligns with the broader Siberian trend of creating secular ethnocultural groups alongside the traditional confessional ones. This article caters to both specialists in the ethno-confessional history of pre-revolutionary Siberia and a more general readership.