[DISPLACED PERSONS / WHITE RUSSIAN ÉMIGRÉ PRESS IN ISTANBUL] Sus a l’envahisseur! De l’occupation a la liberation de Smyrne (Mai 1919 - Septembre 1922). Preface by Eugene Maximoff. [i.e., Down with the invader! From... liberation of Smyrna...]

GILBERTO PRIMI (1897-1955), Edition de la “Presse du Soir”, Constantinople, 1922.

COMPLETE TITLE: [DISPLACED PERSONS / WHITE RUSSIAN ÉMIGRÉ PRESS IN ISTANBUL / THE OCCUPATION OF SMYRNA] Sus a l’envahisseur! De l’occupation a la liberation de Smyrne (Mai 1919 - Septembre 1922). Preface by Eugene Maximoff. [i.e., Down with the invader! From the occupation to the liberation of Smyrna: May 1919 - September 1922]

Original illustrated wrappers. Roy. 8vo. (24 x 16 cm). In French. [ii], 60 p., 5 unnumbered plates (Three are portrait, one map, and one plan). Occasionally fading and stains on pages and covers, slightly chipped on extremities of the covers and spine; overall, a good copy.

Extremely rare first and only edition of this attractive book including a first-hand account giving an invaluable insight into the years of the Greek occupation of Izmir in May 1919 to the freedom of the city in 1922, published by “Presse du Soir” newspaper; owned, and managed by Russian émigré Eugene Maximov in Constantinople. The book was written by Primi after the Turkish victory in the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922), who was an Italian-Levantine journalist and the owner of “Beyoglu” and later “Journal d’Orient” with “Il Messagero degli Italiani”. Primi was also editor-in-chief of "Presse du Soir" between 1919 and 1922 (Okyar). The preface of the book is written by Maximoff.

“Presse du Soir” (later Vecherniaia Gazeta) [i.e., Evening Press: daily literary-political and financial newspaper] was published by Russian émigré Eugene Maximov between 1920-1925 in Istanbul. This newspaper was one of the important press organs of the Russian emigres in the 20s in the Middle East. According to the online source titled “Emigrantica”, this periodical’s managing editor was “E. Danius” and the commercial editor was “O. Zelyuk”. 

“Some issues of the newspaper were in French and Russian, with some articles only in French or Russian, but the majority printed in a different order in both languages; issues for January-August 1922 in Russian, with running titles and some advertisements in French” (OCLC). In addition to financial, political, and literary articles, the newspaper also included activities of the Russian artists, for the Russian intelligentsia who emigrated to the Middle East after the October Revolution. The announcements of the Union of Russian Painters in Constantinople concerning exhibitions, the return of exhibits, and payment for sold works were regularly published in the newspaper.

ABOUT THE WHITE EMIGRATION TO OTTOMAN TURKEY: The Russian emigration after the 1917 Revolution, called “white” or “anti-Bolshevik” is taking a very specific place in the emigration process. Being very significant by scale (geographical, economic, demographical, social, political, ideological, and cultural) the emigration consisted of many Russian Diasporas all over the world, united by all Russian origin and culture. That became the basis of the phenomenon of the “Rossijskoe Zarubezhje” (Russia Abroad) with a unique similarity to the state.

There was a very wide range of social, educational, national, and religious content of Russian emigration which included officers and soldiers of the White Russian Army, civil refugees, representatives of the nobility and bureaucracy, entrepreneurs, and intelligentsia. The collapse and hunger, the Bolshevik nationalization and terror, the failure of Entente, and the irrationalism of the White policy led to the evacuation of the White forces and refugees from Odessa in March 1919 to Istanbul, the evacuation of the forces of the general A. Denikin and refugees from Odesa, Sevastopol, and Novorossijsk in January-March 1920 to Turkey and the Balkans, fled of the Northern-Western army of General N. Yudenich to the territory of Estonia in December 1919-March 1920, and the escape units of the White army from Vladivostok to China in October 1922.

Bali, p. 50.; Four printed copies in OCLC, two are in American institutions (McGill, and Stanford Universities): 316103274, 23755487, 949495942. Princeton University has microfiche.