Belgium occupies a special place in the history of the Russian diaspora.
This small kingdom in the center of Europe turned out to be one of the most hospitable countries for Russian exiles. This country, whose territory suffered greatly from the First World War, appreciated Russia’s contribution to its outcome. The fallen Russian military was able to find a livelihood there, and the Russian nobility widely represented in the country was able to occupy an honorable position in Belgian society.
After the revolution of 1917, along with many nobles and intellectuals, the grandson of the illustrious Russian poet, Nicholas Alexandrovich Pushkin, the son of General Alexander Alexandrovich and his second wife Maria Pavlova, left Russia.
The family of the Doctor of Law, at the time of the October coup, was in his property in Crimea which allowed him and hundreds of thousands of compatriots to pass to Turkey. They spent two years there in the greatest destitution.
The future was uncertain, the present was unstable. Nicholas Alexandrovich attended to the vital needs of the family by doing translations. Lieutenant of cavalry, councilor, justice of the peace in the Tula government, commander of the noble security service of the Imperial Family during his stay in the Crimea, is the incomplete list of the insignia of the sovereignty of Nicholas Alexandrovich. Life in Turkey is far from the future hoped for by the poet’s grandson for his children, Nathalie and Alexander.
The family moved to Belgrade, a Slavic and Orthodox city. His wife’s sister, Marie Petunikova, worked there as a gynecologist-surgeon. But post-war Belgrade is far from a quiet place. Nicolas Alexandrovich decided to write to Cardinal Mercier in Belgium.
Désiré-Joseph Mercier, Archbishop of Mechelen and primate of the Catholic Church of Belgium greatly came to the aid of representatives of the Russian emigration.
In the Cathedral of St. Rombaut, on the tomb of the cardinal, there is a granite stele where words of thanks can be read in Russian.
The insightful cardinal believed that the class of educated Russians would be a good contribution to the culture and spirituality of Belgium.
It was by his invitation that the poet’s grandson arrived in Belgium. After 1917, it was not only Russians who took the path of exile but also Russian culture, the way of life and theology.
Nicholas Alexandrovich, like his illustrious grandfather, was an admirable draftsman. In the 1930s, he described and drew a gallery of coats of arms of noble families that emigrated to Belgium: a total of 91 coats of arms. Nicholas Alexandrovich created " the Collection of coats of arms of Russian noble families «. He painstakingly described all of them.
The coat of arms of the Pushkin family
A shield divided into three parts. In the upper part, on an ermine background, on a red velvet cushion is laid a Prince’s crown, symbolizing the fact that 9 representatives of the Pushkin clan signed the charter decreeing the reign of the first Romanov (1613). In the lower part, on the right, on a blue background, is depicted a right arm in armour, holding a scimitar facing upwards, an old Slavic emblem. On the left golden background, a blue eagle with its wings outstretched holding within its claws a sword pointed upwards representing nobility and courage, the globe symbolizing power.
The Pushkin motto is «Faith and Honor».
The coats of arms of noble families are witnesses of Russian history, glorious achievements of generations for the sake of the fatherland.
In 1958, during the World Exhibition in Brussels, Nicholas Alexandrovich was invited to the Russian Pavilion, he was offered tea with cakes and asked if he wanted to return to Russia. Pushkin’s grandson replied: «As long as Russia is Soviet, we will not return.»
Later, in 1994, the Pushkin Museum in St. Petersburg invited the Pushkins to celebrate the autumn festivities. Maria and Alexander had accepted the invitation that allowed them to discover Russia of that time and to see the love of the people for Alexander Sergeyevich.
In 1999, they established the International Pushkin Foundation in Belgium.
The Foundation aims to promote the works of Alexander Sergeevich in Belgium, support cultural projects and provide charitable assistance to children.
Since, unfortunately, the Pushkin spouses could not have children, for years they sponsored the pediatric department of the Scientific Research Institute of Oncology N. N. Petrov in St. Petersburg and, thanks to the funds collected, provided them with indispensable medicines and medical equipment.
In Belgium the Foundation regularly assists the charity «Renaissance», with kidney transplants for children from the former USSR countries and helps the association «Solart» (children suffering from cerebral palsy).
The second part of the activity of the International Pushkin Foundation is the promotion of the work of the illustrious poet in Belgium and Europe, the organization of socio-cultural events related to his works and his universal legacy.
The third part of the Foundation is the organization of trips to Russia for Belgians and French that allow to break negative clichés and show the universal importance of Russian culture and the hospitality of Russians. During these years, delegations were able to discover not only Moscow and St. Petersburg but also the Trans-Siberian rail line and even set foot on the Solovki Islands.
Every year, on June 6, the birthday of A. S. Pushkin and the International Day of the Russian Language, the Foundation organizes educational readings of Pushkin’s works at the foot of the monument dedicated to the poet in Brussels. The International Pushkin Foundation in the Kingdom of Belgium organises an annual gala «Russian Heritage» at which the prize of the same name is awarded to Belgians and Russian compatriots who have undeniably contributed to the development of cultural ties and diplomatic relations between Russia and Belgium and to the promotion of the Russian language in Europe. A «Young Pushkins»-award has been established for young Estonians learning Russian or for Russians learning Estonian.
This ceremony was held in the presence of many personalities from the diplomatic, artistic and cultural world. In particular, Mr. Alexander Butarev, Consul of the Russian Federation in Monaco, Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Pushkin, great-grandchildren of the poet, President and Vice-President of the International Pushkin Foundation, Mrs. Vera Gretchaninova, representative of the Moscow National Library, Mr. Andrey Gubko, sculptor, author of the commemorative plaque, and Mrs. Hélène Metlov, President of the association «International Perspective».
As pointed out by André Barthe, the deputy for Culture in the city of Nice, this plaque was made thanks to the support of the government of Moscow and the " House of Russians from Abroad «. It represents an open book with a portrait of Elena on the left page. On the right one a bilingual inscription in Russian and French. It should be noted that the two aforementioned associations have ensured the link and the organization with the Library «from Russians Abroad» and that they have in common many projects with this institution, in particular, the research of archives and many events on the theme " A century and a half of Russian presence on the French Riviera «. This is why the presence of friends of Beaulieu sur Mer as well as Marc Douin, municipal councillor in charge of heritage and Menton, is a happy omen for these future projects of enriching the knowledge of the mutual contributions to the cultures of the two countries.