Overview

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Romanov Sisters comes the story of the Russian aristocrats, artists, and intellectuals who sought freedom and refuge in the City of Light. Paris has always been a city of cultural excellence, fine wine and food, and the latest fashions. But it has also been a place of refuge for those fleeing persecution - never more so than before and after the Russian Revolution and the fall of the Romanov dynasty. For years, Russian aristocrats had enjoyed all that Belle Epoque Paris had to offer, spending lavishly when they visited. It was a place of artistic experimentation, such as Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. But the brutality of the Bolshevik takeover forced Russians of all types to flee their homeland, sometimes leaving with only the clothes on their backs. Arriving in Paris, former princes could be seen driving taxicabs, while their wives who could sew worked for the fashion houses, their unique Russian style serving as inspiration for designers such as Coco Chanel. Talented intellectuals, artists, poets, philosophers, and writers struggled in exile, eking out a living at menial jobs. Some, like Bunin, Chagall, and Stravinsky, encountered great success in the same Paris that welcomed Americans such as Fitzgerald and Hemingway. Political activists sought to overthrow the Bolshevik regime from afar, while double agents plotted espionage and assassination from both sides. Others became trapped in a cycle of poverty and their all-consuming homesickness for Russia, the homeland they had been forced to abandon. This is their story. 'Full of colourful anecdotes and sharp character sketches, this breezy account of life in exile entertains.' -Publishers Weekly 'Throughout, Helen Rappaport , a consummate historian, displays her deep research into the era, the city, and its denizens. A culturally vibrant account of Russians uprooted to Paris during a tumultuous time.' -Kirkus Reviews A thorough and extremely well-researched examination of the Russian experience in Paris before and after the Bolshevik uprising on 1917 ... those interested in exploring a variety of unique perspectives on the Russian Revolution will find a wealth of information within these pages.' -Lucy Roehrig, Booklist

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9781922585349

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Dr Helen Rappaport is the New York Times bestselling author of several books, including A Magnificent Obsession, The Romanov Sisters, and Caught in the Revolution. She studied Russian Special Studies at Leeds University, and is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society, a specialist in imperial Russian and Victorian history, and a frequent historical consultant on TV and radio. She lives in West Dorset.

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