EXILED RUSSIANS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 45, 22 February 1930, Page 19

EXILED RUSSIANS

CHEQUERED' LIVES

There- is a sad'little colony of Kussiaus living to-day in_ London. These strangers from that country, which was the scene of the greatest social upheaval in the history of the world, are comparatively recent arrivals. They are ltussiaus of, tho tipper and middle classes who had. to flee for their lives from the murderous hands of the Bolsheviks; and they- havo .sought refuge "in the peaceful and secure land of England, writes George Popoff in '.'Pearson's Weekly." English people, living in -tapir safe little island, untouched for centuries by invasion, or revolution, find it difficult to understand what the revolution meant to the wealthier classes in Russia. For three million Russians it meant ruin, a hasty flight from home, and the difficult problem.of starting life afresh -in a strange land. COLONY IN LONDON. The Russian colony in London is really a small one. Compared with the more Bohemian crowd in Paris, the Russian colony in London seems quiet. Most of the.' Russian aristocrats, although some have opened shops or gone into business, are prominent and popular members of English society. How have the Russian nobles solved the problems of their new life of exile in London? There are residing in England several members of the Russian Imperial family, relatives of the late Tsar Nicholas 11., so brutally murdered in 1918.' The Grand Duchess Xenia, sister of the Tsar and cousin of the King of England, lives with her son, Prince Vassili of Russia, at Frogmoro Cottage, Windsor, which the King has placed at her disposal. Prince George of Russia is popular in society. He is one of the aristocrats who have gone into business, and is to be found during the daytime presiding over a smart West End interior decorating shop. Then there ia the Grand Duke Dmitri—although he spends only a portion of the year in London. He married an English girl, Miss, Emery, and has a son who was boni in England. On the occasion of the marriage, Miss Emery received from the Grand Duke Cyril, the head of the family of Romanoff, the title of Princess Ilyinky. The late -Grand Duke Michael Mihailovitch, an uncle of the late Tsar, lived for over 30 years in England, and was considered as the head of the Russian nobility in Great Britain. He married the Countess Torby, and his son, Count Michael Torby, is still living in London, and is-a painter by profession. . He also left two daughters, one of whom is now Lady Milford Haven, considered to bo among the most beautiful women in society. The other- is Lady Zia Wernher, also a popular society beauty. IN ENGLISH SOCIETY. ' Besides the "royalties," there are several other Russians of the nobility "who take a more or less prominent part, in the life of English society. Prince Imorotinsky, who was at one time an officer in the British Army and is a keen sportsman, married, an English girl, a daughter of Sir John Mullens. Another, Prince Viasemsky, is wedded to one of- the daughters of Mr. Gordon Selfridge. , Many Russian ladies of the aristo: cracy have married prominent Englishmen. First of all, of course, must be mentioned London's recent Lady. Mayoress, Lady Studd, whj was Princess Lieven, and . daughter of the Master of Ceremonies of the Tsar. Then there is Lady Deterding, -wife* of. Sir Henry Deterding. She was, before her marriage, Lydia Kandayaroff, aud is the daughter of a Russian general.' ' ' " ." . . ' The , great Russian dancer, Tamara Karsavina, is married to Mr. Henry Bruce, ex-diplomat and formerly British Delegate in Bulgaria. Another famous Russian ballet dancer, Lydia Lopokova, who is particularly popular in England, is the wife of Mr. Mayriard Keynes, tho Cambridge economist. ' ' . . Several distinguished Russian women have opened dressmaking • businesses in London. Princess Soumbatoff has an elegant fashion shop— "Lydia"—in Bfompton arcade. In the musical world wo have the pianist, Prince Chcvchavadze, and the Moussorgsky Quartet, which performs in a Soho restaurant and consists of four ex-officers of the Russian Guard. As well as these Russians, of the aristocracy,, there are, of course, many Russians of the poorer classes living more obscurely in different parts of London. They have every reason to be grateful to the English people, who have shown much kindness and hospitality toward them.