The American YMCA and the Russian Revolution

Abstract

In hope it began; in perplexity it ended. The twenty-three-year presence of the American Young Men’s Christian Association in Russia that began in 1900 and reached a peak between 1917 and 1920, when more than 440 YMCA staffers served in that country and the Association spent almost eight million dollars for its operation, was over in 1923. In fact, the Association was required to curtail certain of its activities between 1917 and 1920 by both the conservative Kolchak movement in Siberia and the radical Bolshevik government, and eventually, like other groups, it was forced out.

A Hunger for Books: the American YMCA Press and Russian Readers

“…The unique role of the YMCA Press (henceforth the Press) in the Russian emigration has been noted in a variety of studies (including Raeff, 1990 andDavis, 1987). 'The small establishment on the rue-de-la-Montagne-Sainte-Genevie`ve has remained the oldest, most important publisher of Russian books outside Russia.…”

John R. Mott, The American YMCA, and Revolutionary Russia: An Introduction

“…The Bolsheviks saw the Y as a tool of Washington, since the Y frequently assisted their enemies-especially in North Russia and Siberia. 25 The Y faced a difficult dilemma: it attempted to support the Allied cause and also support any troops that needed assistance. The concluding YMCA report summarized, "This very non-partisanship made all partisans suspicious."…”

Activities of the Young Men’s Christian Association in Russia in 1917-1922

“…Усиление деятельности ХСМЛ в России произошло после визита летом 1917 г. Дж. Мотта, убедившегося, что усилий 50 секретарей ХСМЛ для работы в России недостаточно [6]. В ответ на официальное приглашение от Временного правительства Американский ХСМЛ отправил в Россию 125 секретарей и большое количество оборудования.…”

“…рублей в 1912 г. В. Фетлеру в Санкт-Петербурге. Бывший секретарь ABS Ф. Хаггард был ведущим деятелем ХСМЛ в России в тот период [13].…”

“…3. Помощь русскому народу в установлении морального и материального обеспечения для новых институтов самоуправления в соответствии с принципами и идеалами американской демократии» [15]. Эта деятельность проходила и в Сибири, при правительстве Колчака, и в Советской России, и в условиях различ-ных временных буржуазных правительств.…”