History
The first Russians came to Chile in the early 19th century as part of naval expeditions circumnavigating the globe, among them captains Otto Kotsebu, Fyodor Litke, and Vasili Golovnin. However, they were just temporary visitors; the earliest Russian migrants came in 1854. The immigrants of that time belonged to different ethnic groups of the Russian Empire, particularly to minorities. Among them were seafarers and traders as well as medical professionals such as Alexei Sherbakov, who served as a surgean in the Chilean Navy during the War of the Pacific. In the period between World War I and World War II, political motivations for migration came to the forefront; the number of White emigres in Chile grew to about 90. In the 1950s, their numbers were further bolstered by arrivals from among the Russian expatriate community in Harbin. The Russian Cemetery was founded in 1954 to provide a separate space for burials for the community.
As of 2004, the total size of the Russian expatriate community in Chile was estimated at about 250 individuals by the local Russian embassy. Motivations for the recent migration include opportunities for small business, the ease of acquiring mortgages to purchase housing, as well as the weather. They are employed as professors in educational centres, as well as in Chilean food export companies. Community associations they have formed include the Corporación Cultural Alejandro Lipchutz, which boasts 95 members including 70 non-Russians; they work to disseminate information about Russian culture and life.
Read more about this topic: Russians In Chile
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