The Russian diaspora in western Europe is diverse and has large communities in France, Germany and Britain. There are also small communities, such as those in Luxembourg.
The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is a small, quiet state in the very center of Europe. The word “Luxembourg” means “little castle” or “fortress.” This is how the capital city’s fortifications, which were carved out of stone, were called. In Europe it became known as the “Gibraltar of the North.” Despite its inaccessibility, Luxembourg, located on the path of many conquerors, repeatedly changed ownership, falling under the authority of Roman, French, German, Austrian, Spanish and Dutch rulers.
Only at the Congress of Vienna in 1814-1815 did the European powers first define Luxembourg as a grand duchy, giving it to King Wilhelm I of the Netherlands. After the Belgian Revolution of 1830, Luxembourg decreased significantly in size but received de facto independence and kept its association with the Netherlands only though personal union. In April 1867, at an international conference in London attended by Russia, Britain, France, Prussia and several other states, a treaty was signed on the status of Luxembourg. The treaty recognized the crown of the Grand Duchy as an hereditary possession of the House of Nassau, and the duchy was determined to be “eternally neutral.” On September 9, 1867, Luxembourg became an independent state. In 1944, it became a member of the Benelux Economic Union, and later the European Community. In 1949, Luxembourg violated its 100 years of neutrality by joining NATO. Today, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg enjoys one of the highest standards of living in Europe.
Diplomatic relations between Russia and Luxembourg were established in 1891. However, Russia’s trace in this small country began earlier and is linked to the intricate relations between the dynastic European monarchs and the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. In 1849, William III, nephew of the Russian Emperor Alexander I, became the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. When William died in 1890, Adolphe of Nassau was proclaimed Grand Duke. Adolphe’s brother Nicholas William was married to the youngest daughter of the poet – Natalia Pushkina. Natalia bore Nicholas William three children, who were the direct grandchildren Pushkin – Sofia, Alexander and George Nicholas.
In 1912, when there were no male heirs in the Grand Duchy, several candidates for the throne appeared. The best chances were those of the son of George Nicholas and Olga Yurievskaya (who in turn was the daughter of Emperor Alexander II from the morganatic marriage with Princess Dolgoruky) – George Merenberg, great grandson of Alexander Pushkin and the grandson of Alexander II. George Merenberg asserted his rights to the throne of Luxembourg, but the parliament voted otherwise: only seven out of fifty deputies voted in his favor. This was how Alexander Pushkin’s great grandson almost became the Grand Duke of Luxembourg.
Since then, the fates of Russia and Luxembourg have intersected more than once. During World War II, nearly 3,000 Soviet prisoners of war ended up in Luxembourg and were used by the Germans in factories during their occupation of the country. Typically, the native Luxembourgers were friendly toward the Soviets. As we can see in the Luxembourg press at the time, in 1944, hungry and exhausted Soviet women organized tours in Luxembourg to perform Russian songs and dances “to express gratitude to their friends for the fraternal welcome extended to them both during and after the fascist terror.” The performances were a great success. In 1957, the city of Esch-sur-Alzette unveiled a monument to the thirty-six Soviet prisoners of war who had died at the hands of the Nazis while making a contribution to the country’s liberation from a common enemy.
On November 15, 1974, the Pushkin Cultural Center was opened at the Luxembourg – USSR Society of Friendship. The center set as its task the popularization of Pushkin, as well as the support of different cultural and educational events to advance understanding and establish friendship between the peoples of Luxembourg and the Soviet Union. Since then, more than 2,000 citizens of Luxembourg have received various types of Russian training. Today, the Pushkin Center maintains contacts with other international organizations in neighboring countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands, is in constant contact with the few surviving participants of the resistance movement, and works closely with the Russian embassy in Luxembourg. The center works against the background of mutually friendly relations between Russia and Luxembourg. Bilateral trade contacts, as well as relations in the fields of culture, science, medicine and health are actively developed. Luxembourg also helps Russia to train specialists for its banking sector.
Speaking specifically about the Russian (or, more broadly, the Russian-speaking) diaspora in Luxembourg, we should note that its appearance is relatively recent. Its distinguishing feature is the rapid growth. The most recent data show that the Russian-speaking community numbers approximately 4,000 people. At the beginning of the century there were only a few hundred. It was formed largely during the post-Soviet period, primarily by economic immigrants and those who married Luxembourgers, generally women aged 25 to 40. The diaspora also includes a small stratum made up of members of the creative intelligentsia, including opera singers (Maria Guleghina, Elena Zaremba and Albert Schagidullin), journalists, teachers and translators. There are also a number of Russian businessmen in Luxembourg. Lukoil owns several service stations, and the Romanov Dvor group successfully works in the country’s construction and real estate sector. Many of the employees at Luxembourg banks and auditing firms are Russians. The older generation makes up a very small part of the diaspora and includes the composer Rachmaninoff’s great-granddaughter Aniel Bettel-Rachmaninoff, a descendant of the Romanov dynasty – Ivan Farache de Villaforesta, a descendant of the family of Admiral Ushakov – Svetlana Ushakova, and a representative of the old Russian-Romanian noble family of Countess Marina von Kamarovsky-Trubetskaya.
The Russian Orthodox Church – a constant satellite of the Russian diaspora – enjoys a strong position in Luxembourg. The decision to give official status to Orthodoxy was made in 1998 (the largest Orthodox community in the country is comprised of Greeks). The Russian Orthodox community in Luxembourg numbers approximately 1,000 and has the parish of Sts. Peter and Paul as its spiritual center. The church is led by Father Sergei Pukh, who moved to Luxembourg after living in the United States for many years. Father Sergei is a descendant of the White officers who founded the independent Russian settlement in the village of Mertert during the 1920s.
The study of Russian in Luxembourg is plagued by several problems. Systematic study of Russian began only in the mid 1970s, when the Luxembourg – USSR Society at the Pushkin Cultural Center organized the first language courses. Luxembourg also has a Russian-language media, including the newspaper Novosti Benelux, a monthly publication that enjoys a print-run of 30,000 and distribution throughout the Benelux countries.
To this day, however, Russian is not taught at the state level in Luxembourg. The only courses are at the Pushkin Center, evening courses at the Atene vocational school, municipally-sponsored courses in Esch-sur-Alzette, and courses at the technical school in Ettelbruck. In total, the number of students of Russian does not exceed 200. Specialized courses are organized on an individual basis for those employed by EU institutions, banks, companies and other organizations.
There are currently no Russian schools in the country. The significant expansion of cooperation between Russia and the EU recently is helping to revive public interest in Luxembourg in the study of Russian, which gives hope for improvement.
Despite its small size and the challenges it faces, the Russian-speaking diaspora in Luxembourg is not losing heart. It enjoys an active social life and is inclined to self-organization. Evidence can be found in the creation of the Russian Community of the Benelux, a public organization that seeks to address issues of concern to the Russian diaspora. It focuses on a wide range of issues, including the representation of the interests of the Russian-speaking community in the Benelux countries, maintenance of relations with other minority groups, promotion of Russian speakers’ integration in the Benelux countries and the development of cultural, scientific, social and business contacts between the Benelux countries and countries of the CIS and Baltic. Finally, it represents the interests of Russian citizens.
The Russian community’s desire to consolidate in Luxembourg is reflected in the establishment of the Russian Club of Luxembourg’s coordination committee, which is lead by Vsevolod Yampolsky, head of the representative office of Romanov Dvor. In its daily operations the club is guided by the needs of all Russian residents in Luxembourg, as well as those of native residents who are interested in the issues facing the Russian world.
The life of the Russian diaspora in Luxembourg is becoming more active. Every year organizations of Russian compatriots come together with the Russian embassy and representatives of Rossotrudnichestvo to hold events like the celebration of Orthodox Christmas and New Year’s, tours by Russian performers and photo exhibits.
Today, Luxembourg is considered one of the best countries in Europe in terms of creating favorable conditions for the coexistence of different nationalities and ethnic groups. It is not surprising that a conference on interaction between the Russian diaspora and other diaspora groups in the EU, which was conducted in May 2008 by the European Russian Alliance, the Russkiy Mir Foundation, Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other organizations, was held in Luxembourg.
The formation and consolidation of our compatriot groups in Luxembourg is only in its infancy, something which is recognized by the Russian embassy, the representative office of Rossotrudnichestvo, and by our fellow citizens. Today, when 40% of Luxembourg’s nearly half-million population is made up of foreigners, the authorities are seeking to create favorable conditions for the coexistence of different communities in the country. Under these circumstances, our compatriots, whose number is gradually growing, stand a good chance of playing a more significant role in the country’s public life.
