The History and Activities of the Russian People’s Universities Abroad

This paper reviews the history of the formation of Russian People’s Universities in major European capitals: Paris, Belgrade, Berlin, and Prague. Having left their mother country, the intelligentsia tended towards self-organization and the pursuit of their educational efforts. Historical sources clearly indicate that the idea of a direct, relentless commitment to working for the benefit of their compatriots who had found themselves away from their homeland pervaded the entire sphere of activities of the émigré professors. The former university professors who continued with their educational work at the Russian People’s Universities not only ensured the transfer of fundamental and applied knowledge but also became a consolidating point for the Russian expatriates in foreign countries.