Damon Mcknight
Between 1949 and 1951, over 1300 White Russians fleeing the Communist People's Republic of China were evacuated to the Philippines island of Tubabao by the International Refugee Organization (IRO). From there, they travelled onwards to Australia, where they were accepted despite widespread concerns about their health and political reliability. This was part of a wider wave of Russian emigration to countries including the UK, the US, Canada, and Australia, following the Russian Revolution and Civil War, and the Second World War.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the Island | Tubabao |
| Location | Guiuan, Samar, Philippines |
| Year | 1949 |
| Number of Russians | 1300 |
| Reason | To escape the Communist People's Republic of China |
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What You'll Learn
Russians evacuated from Shanghai by the International Refugee Organisation
Between the two World Wars, Shanghai was home to a significant Russian exile community, with an estimated 25,000 Russians living in the city by 1937. The majority of these Russians had fled the Russian Civil War and the Bolshevik Revolution, and many had come from the Russian Far East, with the support of the Japanese. Shanghai was an attractive destination because it was a freeport, requiring no visa or work permit for entry.
However, the Russian community in Shanghai faced various challenges, including statelessness (as the Soviet government had revoked the citizenship of all political exiles in 1921), and barriers to employment due to language requirements. Despite these difficulties, the community retained cohesion and even flourished, with Russian-language schools, cultural and sporting clubs, newspapers, and a radio station.
In the aftermath of the Battle for Shanghai during the Second World War, the city experienced a large population movement, with over a million civilians becoming refugees and fleeing to international territories. The Russian community was among those who fled, first evacuating to a refugee camp on the island of Tubabao in the Philippines, set up by the International Refugee Organisation (IRO). From there, many Russians went on to the United States and Australia, although some settled in Hong Kong.
The Russians evacuated from Shanghai to Tubabao were known as "White Russians", and they were fleeing the advance of the Communists. Australia accepted over 1300 of these refugees in 1949, despite initial suspicions and concerns about their health and political reliability. This acceptance was part of Australia's commitment to taking in "displaced persons" after the Second World War to meet labour shortages.
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Russians lived in camps on the island of Tubabao
In 1949, around 6,000 "White Russians" fled China for the Philippines island of Tubabao, off the southeastern point of Samar. They were escaping the advancing Communists who had proclaimed the People's Republic of China. The Russians were evacuated with the help of the International Refugee Organization (IRO), which later became the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The IRO provided a temporary refuge for the Russians, who were survivors of the October Revolution and Russian Civil War.
The White Russians lived in a camp on the island of Tubabao, which they transformed into a thriving "little Russian city". They elected democratic leaders and established communal kitchens, power stations, Russian schools, a hospital, a dental clinic, an arbitration court, a police force, a jail, and churches for different faiths. They even set up an open-air cinema and a theatre company. The camp was led by Russian Orthodox Bishop John Maximovitch, who is remembered to this day for blessing the camp every night to ward off danger.
The White Russians were a community of anti-communist émigrés, mainly members of the intelligentsia, who had fled Russia after the Bolshevik Revolution. They had initially settled in cities such as Harbin, Beijing, and Shanghai, but as the Chinese Communists began defeating the government forces, they started to forcibly repatriate Russians to the USSR. The IRO arranged for the Russians to be evacuated to Tubabao, where they lived until they could be resettled in different countries.
The majority of the Russians from Tubabao ended up in San Francisco, with around half the population going to the United States. Large numbers also moved to Australia, South America, and other countries. The camp was closed in 1953, and today, remembrance ceremonies are regularly held on the island, with some refugees and their relatives returning to express gratitude to the Philippines.
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Russians admitted to the Philippines under President Elpidio Quirino
Elpidio Rivera Quirino was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 6th President of the Philippines from 1948 to 1953. He was born on November 16, 1890, and died on February 29, 1956. He first entered politics in 1919 when he became a representative of Ilocos Sur's 1st district. He was then elected as a senator in 1925 and served until 1935. During his time as president, he faced a serious threat from the Communist-led Hukbalahap (Huk) movement, which had gained control over a considerable portion of Luzon by 1950.
During Quirino's presidency, from 1949 to 1951, the Philippines admitted 6,000 White Russians fleeing from China after the proclamation of the Communist People's Republic of China in the region. These refugees settled on Tubabao Island in Guiuan, Samar. The Philippines was the only country willing to shelter these Russians, who had fled persecution in their homeland. On October 28, 1949, President Quirino visited the refugee camp and ordered the barbed-wire fence around it to be taken down, stating that the refugees were not security threats.
The admission of these White Russians to the Philippines under President Quirino was part of a broader pattern of the country's humanitarian deeds. In 1940, President Manuel Quezon issued a decree allowing refugees into the Philippines through the Philippine Immigration Act. This act allowed the country to admit foreigners seeking refuge from religious, political, or racial persecution in their home countries. As a result, the Philippines became a haven for waves of refugees, including Vietnamese boat people fleeing the communist regime in their country from the late 1970s to the 1980s.
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Russians fleeing the dangers of the Socialist Revolution
The Philippines welcomed 800 Russians fleeing the dangers of the Socialist Revolution of 1917. This was part of a larger wave of Russian emigration during and after World War II, with Russians moving to the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, various countries in Latin America, and Australia. Many of these emigrants served in the Wehrmacht or Waffen-SS during the war, often as interpreters.
The White émigrés, as they were known, were anti-communist and did not consider the Soviet Union to be representative of Russia but rather of an occupying force. They considered the period of 1917 to 1991 to be a period of anti-Christian occupation by the Soviet regime. They used the pre-revolutionary tricolour of white, blue, and red as their flag, and some organisations used the ensign of the Imperial Russian Navy. A significant percentage of White émigrés were also monarchists, although many did not align themselves with any particular ideology.
In 1949, Australia accepted over 1,300 White Russians from China, who had been evacuated to the Philippines island of Tubabao by the International Refugee Organization (IRO) from Shanghai to escape the advancing Communists. This was considered a surprising move on Australia's part, given longstanding suspicions of Shanghai's Russian and Jewish community and the country's existing commitments to taking displaced persons from Europe. The refugees on Tubabao were, on average, substantially older than Australia's target migrant demographic, disinclined towards manual labour, and had a high incidence of TB. Despite this, Australia accepted them with only minimal security screening.
A further group of Russians arrived in South Australia from China after the end of the Korean War in 1953. They were encouraged to leave China by the Communist government, which was reluctant to include non-communist sympathisers in its citizenship. From 1949 to 1951, the Philippines under President Elpidio Quirino admitted 6,000 White Russians fleeing from China after the proclamation of the Communist People's Republic of China in the region. They settled on Tubabao Island in Guiuan, Samar.
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Russians awaiting resettlement in the Philippines
Between 1949 and 1951, the Philippines welcomed 6,000 "White Russians" fleeing China after the proclamation of the Communist People's Republic of China. These Russians settled on Tubabao Island in Guiuan, Samar, while awaiting resettlement in countries like Australia. This was not the first instance of Russians seeking refuge in the Philippines, as the country had previously welcomed 800 Russians fleeing the dangers of the 1917 Socialist Revolution.
The Russians who arrived in 1949 had been evacuated from Shanghai by the International Refugee Organization (IRO) to escape the advancing Communists. The IRO was responsible for arranging transport and maintenance in the Philippines, while the Russian Emigrants' Association (REA) was in charge of the registration process for Russians wishing to leave. The refugees lived in camps on Tubabao Island, which served as a way station for those seeking to immigrate to Australia.
The acceptance of these Russians by Australia was surprising given the longstanding suspicions surrounding Shanghai's Russian and Jewish communities and the country's existing commitments to taking in "displaced persons" from Europe after World War II. Despite concerns about their health and political reliability, Australia accepted the Russians from Tubabao with only minimal security screening.
The White Russians who fled to the Philippines were generally anti-communist and did not consider the Soviet Union to be representative of Russia but rather an occupying force. They used the pre-revolutionary tricolor as their flag and considered the period from 1917 to 1991 as a time of anti-Christian occupation by the Soviet regime. One notable activity of Russian émigrés in various countries was the building of monuments to the Russian war dead of World War I, which stood in contrast to the Soviet Union's lack of memorials.
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Frequently asked questions
Russians immigrated to the island of Tubabao in the Philippines on their way to Australia.
These were "White Russians" or "White émigrés", who were anti-communist and did not consider the Soviet Union and its legacy to be representative of Russia.
They were fleeing the dangers of the Socialist Revolution of 1917 and the subsequent Civil War.
They immigrated to Australia in 1949, after the communist People's Republic of China was proclaimed.
Australia took in over 1300 "White Russians" at this time.
