The Guest Book of the Russian House Concert Hall as a Historical Document

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.22455/Emigr.3034-3518-2025-3-385-427
  • УДК / UDC: 821.161.1.0
  • EDN:

    https://elibrary.ru/GWFGNG
  • Publication Type: Research Article
  • For Citation:

    Antanasievich, I. “The Guest Book of the Russian House Concert Hall as a Historical Document.” Emigrantica. Issue 3, ed.-comp. E.R. Ponomarev, acad. ed. E.R. Ponomarev, ed. A.V. Protopopova, M.S. Shchavlinskii, D.V. Zaitsev. Moscow, IWL RAS Publ., 2025, pp. 385–427. (In Russian) https://doi.org/10.22455/Emigr.3034-3518-2025-3-385-427
  • Author 1: Irina N. Antanasievich
  • Information about the Author 1:

    Irina N. Antanasievich, DSc in Philology, Professor, University of Belgrade, Student Sq., 3, 11000 Belgrade, Republic of Serbia.
    E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
    ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0709-6768
  • Abstract: The Concert Hall Book of Belgrade’s Russian House, transferred by the Archives of Yugoslavia to mark the institution’s 80th anniversary, represents a valuable source on the history of Russian emigration. This article attempts a comprehensive analysis of this document that goes beyond traditional event chronicling. The study demonstrates that standard cataloging methods prove insufficient for its complete examination — requiring the development of new analytical approaches. The book derives particular significance from its dual nature: it serves simultaneously as an administrative register of events and a unique testimony to emigres’ cultural self-determination processes. Analyzing its structure and content reveals the mechanisms of creating a miniature “Russia Abroad” — from institutional survival strategies to individual identity preservation practices. The document reflects not only the Russian House’s official activities as a diaspora center but also the living fabric of emigrant cultural life. Such multilayered analysis of the source opens new perspectives in studying Russian emigration history, demonstrating how a local document can illuminate global processes of cultural adaptation and national identity preservation in exile.
  • Keywords: The Russian House, Concert Hall Guest Book, history of the Russian emigration in Belgrade, Russian émigré institutions in Belgrade
  • Страницы / Pages: 385–427

References

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  • Received: October 30, 2024
  • Approved after Reviewing: February 17, 2025
  • Publication Date: December 29, 2025

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