In 1937, there were more than 25,000 Belarusian refugees living in Shanghai. At
one time, the refugee camps in Shanghai were quite large, and the experience of Belarusian refugees (Belarus, specifically referring to the Russians who supported the Tsar) has also become a typical refugee career.
At that time, Shanghai's dance halls, large and small, seemed to be monopolized by Belarusian women. Their unique blonde high noses and colorful neon lights became all the representatives of Shanghai's nightlife in that era.
In 1937, the Honorary Consul of Mexico in Shanghai, Maurizio Fransco, wrote a book about his feelings about the darkness of the city of Shanghai. The content in the book mostly exposed the sordidness of a big city under the brilliance of the glory. Dirty and ugliness, of course, come from his vision and contact surface. Many Franco readers learned about the Russian refugee community in Shanghai through his books. The Belarusian ethnic group living in Shanghai was very poor. According to statistics, 22% of Belarusian women between the ages of 16 and 45 were engaged in prostitution.
By 1937, there were more than 25,000 Belarusian refugees living in Shanghai, which was the largest number of European ethnic groups in Shanghai at that time. Other Belarusian refugees who fled due to the Bolshevik revolution were distributed in Harbin, China, Manchuria and Paris in northeastern China at that time. Later, many Belarusian refugees living in Manchuria and Paris also went to Shanghai, because Shanghai is the most free haven in the eyes of refugees. All you need to come to Shanghai is an entry permit. No passport or work visa is required. These advantages It is also the reason why Shanghai attracted a large number of European Jewish refugees during the rampant Nazi period.
In October 1922, the Soviet Red Army captured Vladivostok, which was the last stronghold of the Belarusian army. The Belarusian government urgently recruited all available ships and equipment for a final evacuation. It was a very desperate scene. The Belarusian soldiers, their families, and some civilians, with all their belongings, squeezed into 15 ships. Two months later, under the leadership of the Belarusian commander, 3,000 refugees came to Shanghai. Wusong Port was in chaos that day. In addition to warships, there were also fishing boats, icebreakers, and cruise ships. The sundries on the deck were everything from pots and pans to baby supplies. An American reporter even saw one. The Belarusian woman carried the baby in the package with a rifle.
However, for these refugees from afar, the door of Shanghai is not as open as imagined. In 1922, there were about 700 Russians living in Shanghai. Except for consular officials and their families, most of them were fur merchants and tea giants. This is a small, prosperous and stable community. The leader at the time was Victor Goss. He was an ambassador during the Tsarist period. After the October Revolution, even though he was not recognized by the Soviet government, he still performed his duties in Shanghai. Gauss is very doubtful that the small Russian communities that are closely connected can receive a large number of refugees at once, especially these refugees are almost in absolute poverty. Under his interference, the Foreign Affairs Office in Shanghai only issued landing permits to 200 people at that time, which meant that 2800 people could not land. Later, these people came to Shanghai by detouring to the Philippines, but there was a boat in the "curve landing" process. Being robbed, even the ship was demolished.
The second fleet of refugees arrived in September 1923. The fleet waited for 40 months outside Wusong Port, waiting for the results of negotiations with the Shanghai Municipal Government. Most of these ships were the Far Eastern Army of Belarus. They almost completely demolished the city before leaving Vladivostok. No wonder the Shanghai authorities were worried. Later, most of these people served in the Shanghai voluntary militia, and a few entered the foreign-controlled concession police force. In 1922, the number of newly landed Belarusian refugees registered by the Shanghai Municipal Government was 1,268, nearly 2,000 in 1923, and more than 4,000 in 1926. Later, those who came one after another took a single boat so that they could land without any trouble. There are also some refugees who enter by land, not to mention any documents. Many long-distance trips are legendary. A news report in 1930 described a family of Belarusians who entered China from Xinjiang and walked all the way to Shanghai.
Forced by life, Belarusian women became prostitutes
. One to two years after landing in Shanghai, young Belarusian women began to move towards sensual places and eventually became prostitutes inevitably because of the embarrassment of life.
The influx of refugees has completely changed the face of the original Belarusian community. The difficulties they face are enormous. First of all, they have no nationality. In 1921, the former Soviet Union government cancelled the nationality of all fugitives of Belarus. The only identity these people had was the passport of the League of Nations at that time. This passport was only recognized by 51 countries, not including China. In addition, these Belarusian refugees discovered that they could not enjoy all the privileges of foreigners in Shanghai. At that time, Shanghai had concessions in various countries, and the status of foreigners was quite high and was not governed by the laws of China at that time. But the Belarusian refugees, like the locals, must succumb to all constraints of law, culture, and morality. Secondly, almost all refugees had no possessions when they arrived in Shanghai. Most of them were ex-soldiers and their wives or girlfriends. They had no other working skills, so they first faced the problem of finding a job.
At that time in Shanghai, if you wanted to get a white-collar job, it was necessary to speak English, but most of the Belarusian refugees could not speak English, only French. Barely speaking, the English level was not as good as the local Shanghai youth. As a result, few refugees can find decent full-time jobs. Most are part-time jobs teaching French, music, and ballet. Former military officers mostly work as security guards, militiamen, and personal bodyguards. Girls can work in grocery stores, hair salons, and manufacturing. The clothing factory is already lucky to find a job. More people can only commit crimes due to the pressure of life. According to statistics, in 1929, more than 85% of the criminal offences committed by foreigners in Shanghai were Belarusians.
Many young Belarusian girls are born in a superior position, but they don't have any language advantages, and they lack labor skills. They can only sell their colors. On the first day they came to Shanghai, they were destined to be lost in this city. The income of the sensual place is often enough to support the expenses of the whole family, and many daughters or wives have no choice.
The Belarusian refugees fully enriched the entertainment life in Shanghai at that time, especially the sex market. Shanghai is known as the "Oriental Babylon", and after the Opium War, it has always been the entertainment capital of the East in the eyes of Western sailors. Previously, the top of the pornographic venues in Shanghai was the Susie Wong Club. Here, girls from South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand and Western sailors danced in a wild dance. But later, the pronoun of Shanghai's sex industry turned into cheap white Russian women's striptease. Many Belarusian women are beautiful and extraordinary, and their dance skills are impeccable, and they soon become the highlight of Shanghai's nightlife.
Belarusian refugees are engaged in a variety of occupations and become "Shanghainese". The
Belarusian community has never taken the political initiative in Shanghai, because they have always been a group of physical strength. In addition, the Belarusian community is still not united, especially the Ukrainian group and The others are at odds. But the presence of Belarusian refugees has changed the cultural atmosphere of Shanghai to a large extent, at least completely changed the race relations in the city.
Before, the status of white people in Shanghai was unmatched, but after the arrival of the Belarusian refugees, the Shanghainese discovered that white people could also work in the service industry. The white man may be your personal bodyguard, your driving instructor, or your personal tailor. In addition, the Belarusian refugees have also enriched the urban culture of Shanghai. For example, the Russian borscht in many restaurants is the most authentic.
The Belarusians brought authentic symphony and ballet. For a period of time, 60% of the symphony in Shanghai were performed by Belarusians, and their ballet was also the best. At that time, the Shanghainese’s obsession with ballet was completely due to Excellent performance by the Belarusian Dance Company. They also brought European operas. At that time, well-known singers would perform operas in many large-scale Russian restaurants, which is quite extravagant now. In addition, many Belarusian women have opened private tailoring shops, and their designs have also influenced the aesthetics and dressing styles of many upper-class ladies in Shanghai. Despite being poor, many Belarusian families still retain aristocratic living traditions. The value of these traditions far surpassed economic values and influenced the lifestyles of many middle-class citizens in Shanghai at that time.
After entering the 1930s, the Belarusian community began to grow stronger. The first Belarusian newspaper appeared in 1936, named "Russians in Shanghai", which was founded by private investment. Later, many Orthodox churches appeared in Shanghai, and one or two of them were very large, which also affected The beliefs of some Shanghainese at that time. By the time the Belarusian community can support the two Belarusian schools, there will be 6 Russian newspapers in circulation throughout Shanghai, as well as a dedicated radio station.
Nearly 1949, many Belarusians became refugees again, and they took various ships to the U.S. military base in the Philippines. This time at the port, they waited for two years, and finally the U.S. Congress agreed to grant them refugee status and issue U.S. passports. Many Belarusians also applied for passports to the former Soviet Union at the time of China's liberation because of their infinite thoughts and worries about their motherland during World War II. More people, I am afraid, have penetrated the streets of Shanghai. Although they still insist on their firm beliefs and still miss the motherland infinitely, they have regarded Shanghai as the last place to take root and become Shanghainese.
(From "Southern Capital Weekly")
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