Russian Refugees Relief Association

Records of the Russian Refugees Relief Association, 1933-1969, including minutes of Officers Meetings, 1948-1956, and the Executive Committee, 1946-1968; papers of Annual General meetings, 1948-1969, including balance sheets, accounts, correspondence and Secretary's reports; financial material, 1947-1969, comprising balance sheets, ledgers, journals, cash books, petty cash books, wage books and bank statements; information on membership and refugees, 1947-1963, including membership and subscription lists, lists of inhabitants of the refugee hostels, and correspondence concerning medical regulations and donations; general correspondence, 1948-1965, with other Russian relief organisations, German refugee camps, the Home Office, London County Council, the British Council for Aid to Refugees, members and supports of the Association, and people searching for relatives, as well as financial and legal correspondence concerning administrative matters; miscellaneous material, 1933-1966, including legal papers concerning the hostels, personal notebooks and financial material, and manuscript notes in Russian on the history of the Association.

The Russian Refugees Relief Association was set up in 1946 to care for people forced to leave Russia and eastern Europe by the spread of Communism. As well as supporting refugees in the UK, the RRRA provided food parcels and other aid to Russians in Germany and Europe. The organisation generally acted to promote Russian issues and provide a service to those trying to locate family and friends. As the refugees in Britain became elderly, the Association purchased two houses in Earls Court, London, as hostels. They also provided a Russian language library. As its income gradually decreased, the Association's work was gradually superceded by other agencies, and it was wound up in 1968. Its assets were passed on to the Russian Benevolent Society.

Arranged in sections as outlined in the Scope and Content.

Open.

Printed handlist and on-line catalogue available.

Sources: British Library of Political and Economic science Archives catalogue. Compiled by Sarah Aitchison as part of the RSLP AIM25 project.

Copyright unknown. Most documents may be photocopied.

Deposited by Thomson Quarrell, solicitors, via the British Records Association, in 1993.