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Russians in the United Kingdom

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Russians in the United Kingdom are Russians, or the persons born in the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union or the Russian Federation, who are or were citizens of or residents of the United Kingdom.

Russians in the United Kingdom
Total population
United Kingdom Russian-born residents in the United Kingdom: 59,781
(2021/22 Census)[note 1]
 England: 55,014 (2021)[1]
 Scotland: 3,184 (2022)[2]
 Wales: 1,039 (2021)[1]
Northern Ireland: 544 (2021)[3]
Previous estimates:
15,160 (2001 census)
39,529 (2011 census)
73,000 (2020 ONS estimate)
Regions with significant populations
London, South East England,[4] Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Cardiff
Languages
British English and Russian
Religion
Russian Orthodox Church
Atheism
Irreligion
Judaism
Church of England
Related ethnic groups
Russian diaspora
  1. ^ Does not include ethnic Russians born in the United Kingdom or those with Russian ancestry

Settlement and population numbers

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The 2001 UK census recorded 15,160 residents born in Russia.[5] The 2011 census recorded 36,313 people born in Russia resident in England, 687 in Wales,[6] 2,180 in Scotland[7] and 349 in Northern Ireland.[8]

The Office for National Statistics estimates that 73,000 people born in Russia were resident in the UK in 2020.[9] Estimates published by The Guardian suggest that the resident population of London born in Russia was over 150,000 in 2014.[10] The rise in population has led to jocular nicknames for London such as "Londongrad" and "Moscow-on-the-Thames".[11]

Education

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In London, in particular Notting Hill Gate there are a number of Russian schools aimed at transmitting Russian language and culture to the children of Russian immigrant parents.[12]

The Russian Embassy School in London is a Russian international school in the UK's capital city.

History

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Russian revolutionaries

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After the abolition of slavery, Catholic emancipation and Jewish emancipation in the early 19th century, Britain came to be seen in Europe as a liberal destination, attracting free thinkers who were considered dangerous by the monarchies of continental Europe.[13]: 146–147  Alexander Herzen, a writer considered to be the "father of Russian socialism", lived in London for 13 years. He established the first Russian-language printing house outside Russia Free Russian Press, first at Judd Street and later moving to the Caledonian Road.[14]: 227, 230–231  Herzen's most influential publication, devised with the help of another Russian immigrant poet Nikolai Ogarev, was Kolokol newsletter.[14]: 235  Notable Russian anarchists Peter Kropotkin and Mikhail Bakunin lived and worked in London in the late 19th century.[15][16] Freedom Press anarchist publishing house co-founded by Kropotkin in Whitechapel[15] still operates as of 2022.

Due to the political freedom in Britain, London became central to the Russian revolutionary thinkers once again in the 20th century. Vladimir Lenin lived in London in 1902–1903, publishing a revolutionary journal Iskra in a building in Clerkenwell that later became a home of the Marx Memorial Library. The congress of Russian revolutionaries held in the Three Johns pub in Islington in 1903 became a critical point of division of the movement to hardline Bolsheviks, who would later establish the Soviet Union, and Mensheviks. The 1907 Bolshevik party congress was held in Hackney and was attended by future leaders of the Bolshevik revolution including, besides Lenin, Leon Trotsky, Joseph Stalin, Grigory Zinoviev, Lev Kamenev, Maxim Litvinov and writer Maxim Gorky.[17]

Jewish emigration

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For broader coverage of this topic, see Pogroms in the Russian Empire § Influence, and May Laws.

Russian Jews emigrated to the United Kingdom beginning in the late 19th century to seek refuge from the persecution in Russian Empire and Eastern Europe. It's estimated that 150,000 Jewish people relocated to Britain between 1881 and 1914.[13]: 228–229  Slonim-born Michael Marks settled in Leeds where he co-founded Marks & Spencer retail chain in 1894.[13]: 226–227  Isaac Moses and his brother founded Moss Bros Group in Houndsditch. Montague Burton, then known as Montague Ossinsky, came to England from Lithuania, founding Burton in Sheffield in 1904, opening shops in Chesterfield, Manchester, Leeds and Mansfield within a year. Burton became the biggest retail empire in Europe by 1925.[13]: 227 

The production of ready-made coats and jackets became the primary immigrant trade due to the combination of Jews facing restrictions on skilled trades in Russia and the abundant unskilled labor force in Britain.[18]: 15–16  The number of Russian and Polish tailors increased from 3,264 in 1881 to 19,218 in 1901.[18]: 17  Facing language barrier and unable to work on Saturdays for religious reasons, they were often employed by the London's East End sweatshops run by Jewish entrepreneurs. Jewish immigrants to London built a thriving clothes trade in Houndsditch and Petticoat Lane.[13]: 234 

The hardships prompted some Jews to become revolutionaries.[13]: 236  A pioneer of Jewish socialism Aaron Liebermann came to London from Saint Petersburg in 1875. He organised the first Jewish worker's organisation Hebrew Socialist Union in London, however, the initiative wasn't supported by the Jewish establishment and the socialist organisation was short-lived. Morris Winchevsky, who moved to London from Lithuania, published a socialist Yiddish newspaper Der Poylisher Yidl from the premises in Commercial Street.[13]: 237 

Biochemist Chaim Weizmann came to Britain from Russia in 1904. He developed a method of producing cordite explosive that was essential to the Britain's World War I effort. His industrial success resulted in meeting then Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour and he is believed to have influenced Balfour Declaration, which led to the creation of Israel.[13]: 248 

While earlier waves of immigration from Russia primarily consisted of political exiles, who were intent on continuing their activities in their new country, the migration of refugees from the Russian Pale of Settlement marked a significantly larger-scale movement. Eastern European Jewish immigration largely ceased following the passage of the Aliens Act 1905.[19]: 127 

Aftermath of the revolution

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In the initial years following the October Revolution, the nature of Russian immigration to the UK underwent a significant transformation. While Britain continued to serve as a sanctuary for those unable to remain in Russia, anti-monarchists were succeeded by white émigrés, who represented a broad range of political beliefs.[20]: 18  Britain admitted an estimated 15,000 refugees, a relatively low figure compared to countries such as France or Germany, as asylum was granted only under exceptional circumstances. Some individuals such as Grand Duchess Xenia were evacuated aboard HMS Marlborough in 1919, sent by King George V to protect his relatives.[21]

Emigrant authors such as Ariadna Tyrkova-Williams contributed to documenting the contemporary life in England, writing for Russian magazines and newspapers.[20]: 19 

Vladimir Nabokov's three-year stay in Cambridge as a student had a profound influence on his literary work. The author recounted his experiences in England in "Speak, Memory" and "Other Shores [ru]", with Cambridge providing the backdrop for his novels Glory and The Real Life of Sebastian Knight. Yevgeny Zamyatin's time in Britain during World War I, spent as a naval architect on secondment, formed the basis for the works he wrote during his stay and upon his return to Russia. The concepts and symbolism in his dystopian novel We were rooted in his experiences in England and his familiarity with English literature. The novel subsequently influenced George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four and possibly Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.[20]: 19, 21 

Notable people

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See also the categories English people of Russian descent, Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United Kingdom, White Russian emigrants to the United Kingdom, Soviet emigrants to the United Kingdom, and Russian emigrants to the United Kingdom

This is a list of Russian expatriates in the United Kingdom and Britons of Russian ancestry.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Arts

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Business

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See also: Russian oligarchs § Oligarchs in London

Military and espionage

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Science and humanities

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Sports

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Monuments

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This is a list of monuments to Russians in the United Kingdom.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

19th century

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Second World War

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Personal monuments

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Country of birth (extended)". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  2. ^ "Table UV204 - Country of birth: Country by Country of Birth by Individuals". National Records of Scotland. Retrieved 24 May 2024. '2022' > 'All of Scotland' > 'Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion' > 'Country of birth: UV204'
  3. ^ "MS-A18: Country of birth - full detail". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. 22 September 2022. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  4. ^ "Born Abroad: Other European ex-USSR", BBC News, 2005-09-07, retrieved 2009-09-19
  5. ^ "Country-of-birth database". Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 2009-11-07.
  6. ^ "2011 Census: Country of birth (expanded), regions in England and Wales". Office for National Statistics. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  7. ^ "Country of birth (detailed)" (PDF). National Records of Scotland. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  8. ^ "Country of Birth – Full Detail: QS206NI". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  9. ^ "Table 1.3: Overseas-born population in the United Kingdom by country of birth and sex, January 2020 to December 2020". Office for National Statistics. 17 September 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2021. Figure given is the central estimate. See the source for 95% confidence intervals.
  10. ^ "How the Ukraine crisis is affecting Russians in Moscow-on-Thames". The Guardian. April 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  11. ^ Cowell, Alan (17 December 2006). "A Russian Outpost With More Freedom: Londongrad". New York Times. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  12. ^ Buksh, Ayshea (2007-02-12), "Russians get back to their roots", BBC News, retrieved 2009-09-19
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h Winder, Robert (2013). Bloody Foreigners. ISBN 978-0-349-13880-0.
  14. ^ a b Rahman, Kate Sealey (2002). "Russian revolutionaries in London, 1853-70: Alexander Herzen and the free Russian press". In Taylor, Barry (ed.). Foreign-language printing in London, 1500-1900. Boston Spa. pp. 227–240. ISBN 0712311289.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  15. ^ a b Young, Sarah J. (9 January 2011). "Russians in London: Pyotr Kropotkin". Dr. Sarah J. Young Blog.
  16. ^ Young, Sarah J. (12 December 2010). "Russians in London: Mikhail Bakunin". Dr. Sarah J. Young Blog.
  17. ^ Rosenbaum, Martin (16 October 2017). "London's role in the Russian Revolution". BBC.
  18. ^ a b Gainer, Bernard (1972). The alien invasion; the origins of the Aliens Act of 1905. London: Heinemann. ISBN 0435323504.
  19. ^ Manz, Stefan; Panayi, Panikos (July 2012). "Refugees and Cultural Transfer to Britain: An Introduction". Immigrants & Minorities. 30 (2–3): 122–151. doi:10.1080/02619288.2010.502704.
  20. ^ a b c Kaznina, Olga (2001). "Англия глазами русских" [England in the eyes of Russians]. «Я берег покидал туманный Альбиона...» Русские писатели об Англии. 1646—1945 [Russian writers about England. 1646-1945] (PDF) (in Russian). pp. 3–24. ISBN 5-8243-0252-9.
  21. ^ Multanen, Elina (June 1999). "British policy towards Russian refugees in the aftermath of the Bolshevik revolution". Revolutionary Russia. 12 (1): 44–68. doi:10.1080/09546549908575698.
  22. ^ Arthurs, William (2010). "Centenary of Azerbaijan-born London designer Professor Sir Misha Black OBE RDI PPSIAD FRSA (1910-1977)". London Society Journal. 460. Archived from the original on 19 February 2014.
  23. ^ Powers, Alan (14 May 1996). "OBITUARY : Serge Chermayeff". The Independent.
  24. ^ "Theodore Komisarjevsky - Russian theatrical producer". Britannica.com. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  25. ^ "Latin Fever with Strictly Stars Darren Bennett & Lilia Kopylova". Archived from the original on 2011-02-18. Retrieved 2011-03-19.
  26. ^ "Lubetkin, Berthold Romanovich (1901–1990), architect". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/40675. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  27. ^ "Helen Mirren's in the prime of life". London Evening Standard. 6 October 2016.
  28. ^ "Seva Novgorodtsev". IMDb.com. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  29. ^ "Untitled Document". Spavlenko.demon.co.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  30. ^ "Peter Ustinov, Oscar-Winning Actor, Dies at 82". The New York Times. 29 March 2004. Both parents were half Russian with assorted parts French, Italian and German. Many of their forebears were prominent figures in czarist Russia, including a country squire with 6,000 serfs, the owner of the largest caviar fishery in czarist Russia and a court architect.
  31. ^ Bray, Roger (2010-09-09). "Vladimir Raitz obituary". The Guardian. London.
  32. ^ Schwarz, Sven. "Faces of LRDG". Lrdg.de. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  33. ^ Armstrong, Simon (28 November 2015). "Rudolf Abel: The Soviet spy who grew up in England". BBC News. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  34. ^ Trahair, Richard C. S.; Miller, Robert L. (2009). Encyclopedia of Cold War Espionage, Spies, and Secret Operations. New York, NY: Enigma Books. p. 99. ISBN 978-1936274253.
  35. ^ Cherniss, Joshua; Hardy, Henry (13 August 2018). Zalta, Edward N. (ed.). The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University. Retrieved 13 August 2018 – via Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
  36. ^ a b Rincon, Paul (5 October 2010). "Materials breakthrough wins Nobel". BBC News. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
  37. ^ "Alexandra Tolstoy". IMDb.com. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  38. ^ Wikisource:1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Vinogradoff, Paul
  39. ^ "Николай Зернов". Zarubezhje.narod.ru. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  40. ^ Editor, Rosamund Urwin, Media. "The Russian-born gymnast who jumped through hoops to win gold for England". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2022-10-08. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  41. ^ Sherlock, Grant (2009-01-08). "Statue for rugby's Russian prince". BBC News.
  42. ^ Historic England. "The Emperor Fountain (1334719)". National Heritage List for England.
  43. ^ "Yalta Memorial". The Spectator. 12 July 1986. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  44. ^ "Bust of Vladimir Lenin". Islington Museum. BBC. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  45. ^ Historic England (16 January 1981). "Norwest House (Grade II) (1222795)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 25 March 2016.

Further reading

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