The Romanov Dynasty and Youth Movements in the Russian Empire and Emigration of the "First Wave"

Bulatov Ivan Aleksandrovich ORCID: 0000-0001-7148-491X PhD in History Associate Professor, Department of History and Politology, Yuri Gagarin State Technical University of Saratov 77 Politechnicheskaya str., Saratov, 410054, Russia, Saratov region kicum-333@yandex.ru Other publications by this author

One of the founders of extracurricular children's organizations in the Russian Empire was Emperor Nicholas II. It all started with his official note dated January 8, 1908, in which he ordered: "to start training children in schools in the villages in formation and gymnastics by reserve and retired non-commissioned officers for a small fee" ^{[12, p. 26; 9, p. 165]}. Although the decree referred to villages and schools, in reality the activity was mainly concentrated in cities and soon went beyond schools. The first to respond to the tsar's wish was the inspector of public schools A.A. Lutskevich, who in the spring of 1909 gathered a company of children who studied military formation and gymnastics at the exemplary Bakhmut Public School ^{[14, p. 31]}. The initiative pleased Nicholas II. On May 6 of the same year, through the Minister of War, the emperor announced his highest gratitude "for the excellent initiative and that he understood and carried out My thought." In the same year, with the royal permission, the company of Lutskevich became known as "The First People's class of the military system and gymnastics of His Imperial Majesty the Heir to the Tsarevich and Grand Duke Alexei Nikolaevich" ^{[14, p. 26]} (according to other data cited by Yu.V. Kudryashov, the naming took place after a meeting with the emperor in May 1910) ^{[12, p. 26]}. At the Highest Review on May 22, 1910, Lutskevich's children's company met with the tsar. Nicholas II walked around the formation, talked to the children, took pictures ^{[23; 14, pp. 41-50]}. On February 24, 1911, A.A. Lutskevich was granted an audience with the Emperor ^{[14, p. 55]}. Seeing such a disposition of the sovereign to a new venture, similar companies began to appear all over the country and were called "funny".

Many organizers of the "funny" detachments were interested in European pedagogical thought and tried to introduce elements of scouting, which was gaining popularity at that time, into their activities. And although today the Russian scout movement knows exactly the date of its birth – April 30, 1909, in reality it is more correct to talk about the gradual growth of scouting from "fun" with some intermediate forms. At the same time, the "funny" ones, having served as fertile ground for the emergence of a new organization after 1912, went into decline, and the scouts, who began to call themselves scouts in the Russian manner, on the contrary, went uphill. And here, too, the emperor played an important role.

As mentioned above, scouting gradually sprouted from "fun" and appeared in different cities on the initiative of individual enthusiasts, unrelated to each other: in the autumn of 1910 in St. Petersburg, the "Legion of Young Scouts" was organized by V.G. Yanchevetsky (in the future, the famous Soviet writer Yan), in Moscow in the same year on On the basis of the Alexander School, the squad of young scouts was assembled by Captain G.A. Zakharchenko, in Tsarskoye Selo around 1909-1910. Lieutenant O.I. Pantyukhov began working with children according to the scout system. It so happened that the laurels of the founder of Russian scouting went to the latter. There were several reasons for this, one of which was the fact that he served in the Life Guards of His Majesty's I Infantry Battalion ^{[19, l. 319; 16, p. 142]}, and from time to time had access to the august personages. So during the emperor's traditional visit to the regimental assembly, Pantyukhov gave him for Tsarevich Alexei a symbol of the scout movement, a lily with the monogram of the sovereign and a crown. The Emperor accepted the gift benevolently, thereby blessing the continuation of the work. Later, during the First World War, the heir to the throne joined the Tsarskoye Selo Scouts, following his second cousin Grand Duke George Konstantinovich ^{[26, p. 194; 18, p. 7]}. The proximity of the Pantyukhovs family to the imperial family caused the legend of one of the Russian scout emblems – the "Boy under the Tree". The author of the image is Nina Mikhailovna Pantyukhova, the wife of the founder of the scout movement. According to legend, she depicted Tsarevich Alexei on the emblem, whom she repeatedly saw in Tsarskoye Selo. In February 1915, the charter of the Moscow Society for Assistance to Young Scouts was approved in Moscow, and Elizabeth Feodorovna, canonized as the Holy Martyr Elizabeth Alapaevskaya in 1992, took patronage over this organization. Due to this patronage, the name turned out to be quite long: "The Moscow Society for the Promotion of the organization of "Young Scouts" (Russian Scout), consisting under the patronage of Her Imperial Majesty Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna" ^{[2, p. 5; 12, p. 47]}. A great help in the creation of the 1st Moscow detachment of young scouts was provided by Elizaveta Fyodorovna's secretary, chamber-junker Vladimir Vladimirovich von Meck, who began working on the scout methodology in August 1914, i.e. even before the creation of the assistance society ^{[20, pp. 14-15]}.

In emigration, the contacts of children's organizations with the Romanovs expanded. The leader of the scouts abroad was the already mentioned Colonel Oleg Ivanovich Pantyukhov, who was elected Senior Russian Scout at two different congresses. He absorbed monarchical views in his family, which were strengthened during his studies and service near the imperial family in Tsarskoye Selo ^{[4, p. 73]}. In exile, he joined the Corps of the Imperial Army and Navy (KIAF). It was a military association that stood on monarchical positions. At the same time, O.I. Pantyukhov, like the Corps, was a supporter of Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich, whom he saw at the head of the Romanov house. Supporters of such views were called legitimists or Kirillovites. The eldest son of O.I. Pantyukhov, Colonel of the American Army Oleg Olegovich Pantyukhov, was the secretary of the New York branch of another legitimist organization, the Russian Imperial Union-Order (FIG-O). At the same time, the Senior Russian Scout was very cautious about the issue of choosing an august chief for his organization. The historian of scouting Yu.V. Kudryashov shows the thoroughness with which Pantyukhov approached this issue. For example, in 1935 he rejected the seriously considered candidacy of Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich ^{[12, p. 137]}, because of his joining the Young Russian Party in the middle of the same year ^{[11, p. 78]}. Later, in 1939, he became patron only of the French Department of Russian Scouts ^{[12, p. 139]}. Pantyukhov began to establish contacts with him in advance, blessing the former scout of the Tsarskoye Selo detachment, Grand Duke George Konstantinovich, to present his scout badge to the next generation of Romanovs – the son of Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich, Prince Pavel Dmitrievich Ilyinsky ^[18]. Important for monarchism in scouting were Pantyukhov's personal relations with Georgy Konstantinovich himself, the great-grandson of Nicholas I. The Grand Duke's letters were published in the scout press, he shared his memories in them and gave instructions to the younger generation. After the death of Georgy Konstantinovich, a two-week mourning period was declared for the organization, and his name was added to the scout lists for commemoration. Perhaps the good relations between the Grand Duke and the Senior Russian Scout were promoted not only by memories of the days in Tsarskoye Selo, but also by the fact that they both lived in Florida (USA) in the 30s. As for the honorary chief of the National Organization of Russian Scouts (NORS), as the organization of Pantyukhov was called, Vladimir Kirillovich, the heir of Kirill Vladimirovich, eventually became him. Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna had a warm relationship with the Paris department of the NORTH. So she presented the banner to the Parisian NORC team, which helped to organize the all-Belgian Jamboree (national or international scout camp) in 1923 ^{[10, p. 28]}, and on July 4, 1937 she took part in the spring bonfire of the Paris NORTH ^{[15, p. 12]}.

Much more active in the issue of planting monarchism were the competitors of the scouts from the National Organization of Russian Scouts (NORR). The founder of this association was Colonel Pyotr Nikolaevich Bogdanovich. He headed the French branch of the Pantyukhov North, but on May 3, 1928, he announced that he was leaving the organization. He was joined by a large number of scoutmasters from France and the Far Eastern Harbin, and a smaller number from the rest of the scattering countries. Bogdanovich strongly criticized the Scouts for their English and Masonic origin, and he exposed his organization as completely original, rooted only in Russian history. According to his views, he was a monarchist, was a member of the Russian General Military Union (ROVS), the Union of the Transfiguration and the Union of the Life Grenadier Erivan Regiment ^{[21, p. 57]}. In the ROVS, he worked at the headquarters of General Kutepov until 1929, when the NORR began to distract himself all the time and he was forced to fully engage in scouts. He has maintained good relations with the ROVS, which can be observed, for example, on the pages of the magazine "Sentinel" of the official body of the ROVS. From time to time, positive articles about scouts were published there, then Bogdanovich's scouts (who were sometimes called scouts in the old-fashioned way) began to displace them, in November 1931, NORR became a member of the "Society of Friends of the Sentry" and began to help with the distribution of the magazine, from November 1, 1932, official information on the organization began to be printed in it scouts ^[24], and since October 1933, the "Russian Scout" insert ^[25], which was the organ of the NORR, began to be printed in the "Sentinel".

The monarchism of this organization was already demonstrated by the official name: "The National Organization of Russian Intelligence Officers, which is under the patronage of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich." After the death of Alexander Mikhailovich in February 1933, his widow Xenia Alexandrovna, the sister of Nicholas II, became the patroness. Their son Fyodor Alexandrovich was the chief of the 1st detachment ^{[13, p. 20]}. Another son of the august patrons, Nikita Alexandrovich, from April 9, 1934, became the chief of the Marseille 10th detachment named after Field Marshal Prince Anikita Repnin. His children Nikita Nikitich and Alexander Nikitich were enrolled in the same number of eaglets, respectively, in the 4th (Harbin) and 18th named after Generalissimo Suvorov (Desnin) detachments. The scouts were also Princes Mikhail Andreevich in the 5th detachment (Creusot) and Andrei Andreevich in the 1st detachment (Paris) ^[17], and Orlyon (junior scout) Mikhail Fedorovich ^{[13, p. 20]}. The student periodicals regularly featured holiday greetings from their patrons, as well as descriptions of their visits to summer camps. The Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich himself was no exception, who visited the camp near Capbreton with his son ^{[5, l. 4]}. The grand dukes who were not related to the organization could also visit the scout camp, so in 1933 Boris Vladimirovich visited the same camp ^{[13, p. 20]}. All this contributed to the maintenance of the imperial tradition of patronage of the Grand dukes over organizations.

The names of some structural units also referred to the overthrown dynasty. For example, in Manchuria there were detachments named after Grand Duchesses Olga Nikolaevna, Tatiana Nikolaevna, Maria Nikolaevna, Anastasia Nikolaevna, the 11th and 14th detachments of girls were named after Catherine the Great. The boys' 37th and 42nd detachments were named after Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich. The symbolic connection with the Romanov dynasty was also traced in the mythological history of the organization, which had its roots since 1682, when Peter the Great gathered his comedians ^[3].

NORC and NORR worked with children and adolescents, the following two associations worked with young people from the age of 16, which will be discussed. Both of them originated in Harbin, the capital of Russian Manchuria, in 1924 and saw their main goal as spiritual and physical confrontation of the Soviet youth, whose positions were strong in this region. They had romantic names, although not very Russian: Crusaders and Musketeers. The first ones were organized by Lieutenant Boris Antonovich Berezovsky. It is noteworthy that before the creation of the Crusader Order, he worked with scouts, and soon after leaving it, he began working with scouts in the NORR. According to his views, he was a legitimist ^{[7, l. 2 vol.]}. Among the goals of the Order was "the restoration of national Russia (headed by a LEGITIMATE MONARCH)" ^{[6, l. 3 vol.]}. The monarchical nature of the organization is also indicated by the fact that the head of the Order was subordinate to the Supreme Leader, whose name, however, was not indicated. S.V. Smirnov concludes from this that Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich was meant ^{[22, pp. 149, 151]}. This theory is also supported by the fact that in 1926 he was proclaimed the Leader of the Russian emigration. However, highlighting the words "LEGITIMATE MONARCH" in the text may mean Kirill Vladimirovich, since his supporters were not called legitimists for nothing, from the Latin legitimus — legitimate. Similar to the Order was the "Union of His Highness Prince Nikita Alexandrovich Musketeers", which appeared on February 4, 1924 ^{[8, l. 28]} Although initially it was just a Union of Musketeers, and under the patronage of Nikita Alexandrovich, he passed only on March 29, 1930, ^{[1, p. 6]} who also became chief 4 years later Marseille 10th squad NORR.

Summing up, it can be noted that the imperial surname played a significant role in the formation of children's movements in Russia, and later performed a symbolic function, linking emigrant organizations with the pre-revolutionary past. For the bearers of white ideas, among whom the monarchists were very prominent, the patronage of grand dukes and princesses was an important ideological factor. To a certain extent, this gave a sense of normality, referring to the times of the empire, when all notable public associations had august patrons.