Babich I.L. People from the North Caucasus and the South of Russia in Emigration (1919—1939): Between Homeland and France

Abstract: The article addresses the topic of the life of Caucasus emigrants in France in general and of one of its key aspects in particular: the preservation of the previous (Russian) and the reception of new (French) citizenship (1919—1939). Obtaining the French citizenship and preserving ties with their homeland during the period between the First and the Second World Wars posed for many emigrants a difficult choice. The article presents an analysis of the interrelations between the socio-political outlooks and the attitudes towards Russia, and gives a description of the fates of people from the North Caucasus and the South of Russia in emigration to France in 1919—1939. The article is based on sources chosen by the author and for the first time introduced into Russian scientific use materials from two archives: the Archive of the Police Prefecture of France (Paris, France) and the Archive of Alimardan bey Topchubashov (Paris, France). The article raises a new in Russian historiography topic: the description of the various aspects of life organisation of the North Caucasus emigrants in France, including those connected to the question of citizenship (1919—1939). Due to the author’s analysis of the collected archival material the article carries out a systematisation of the data regarding the topic of migrants’ citizenship, concerning a particular region – the Northern Caucasus and the South of Russia,

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