Paper short abstract:

This paper examines how the interwar Russian refugees and the post-Soviet migrants in Greece have addressed the question of home making in their new situation away from home. Conceptually, the paper examines notions, such as globalization, home, memory, and nostalgia.

Paper long abstract:

The Russian Revolution set a whole empire walking. The collapse of the Soviet Union provoked even larger flows of migrants. In the case of the interwar Russian refugees, return was hardly possible. The situation and the possibilities that the post-Soviet migrants have are different: the end of the Cold War, new technologies, globalization, and the ease of travel enables and facilitates contacts of many sorts. Nevertheless, there are also similarities. In both cases, the old home country was no more. In the places where they settled, the migrants had to build new homes and lives. This paper examines how the interwar Russian refugees and the post-Soviet migrants in Greece have addressed the question of home making in their new situation away from home. How can one break with the past and at the same time ensure continuity? Conceptually, the paper examines notions such as globalization, home, memory, and nostalgia. The paper is based on the author's field research in Greece, 2001-2016, as well as secondary sources.