Belarusian émigré periodicals in Europe, the USA, and Canada
After closures of the DP camps in Germany in the 1950s, Belarusian refugees migrated to Great Britain, the USA, Canada, and Australia. Some publications which originated in DP camps moved with people to new countries. Despite including a wide range of categories (youth, religious, humour, political, and literary publications) it was common for early émigré periodicals to have short runs due to financial constraints. Financing was carried out via subscriptions; periodicals regularly published requests for donations to cover costs of production and distribution, such as, for example, London-based Belarus na chuzhyne and Belarus u Amerytsy in New York. In addition to monetary donations, periodicals solicited written contributions by readers and regularly published letters from readers abroad. As the geography of immigration widened, so did the variety of immigrant organizations established in host countries. These organizations published their own periodicals, brochures, and leaflets; many of them circulated in several countries.
In Canada, as the émigré community grew and became established, bulletins and newsletters dominated publishing by Belarusian Canadian organizations. These organizations included the Belarusian Canadian Alliance, the Byelorussian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, the Byelorussian Institute of Kastus’ Kalinowski, the Byelorussian-Canadian Publishers and Arts Club, and Byelorussian National Association in Canada. Established in 1947 and edited by the writer Kastus’ Akula, Belaruski Emihrant became affiliated with the Belarusian Canadian Alliance. Another newspaper, Belaruski Holas was founded in 1952 by Siarhei Khmara. Other Canadian publications in the Pashkievich collection include short-lived satirical publications Dsiatsel [Woodpecker: a monthly of satire and humour] (1952-1953) and Puha [The Whip] (1950-1951), the literary journal Paless’e [Polesie] (1955) and the historical publication Dakumanty i fakty [Documents and facts] (1952-1957).
Émigré periodicals are a remarkable group of primary sources for studying refugee experiences during and after the Second World War, the subsequent resettlement of immigrants in their host countries, the history of immigrant organizations, as well as the role of the activists and writers involved in the establishment, production, and dissemination of these publications.
