The History of Migration from the Russian Empire to Argentina at the end of the 19th beginning of the 20th centuries

According to censuses, Argentina's population quadrupled over fifty years due to migration: 1.8 million in 1869 and 7.8 million in 1914. Between 1857 and 1914, 4.6 million migrants entered Argentina. Taking into account the departure of 1.6 million people, 3 million people "settled" in the country, adding to the Argentine population. The proportion of foreigners in Argentine society was also rising: 8 per cent in 1869 and 30 per cent in 1914. Research objective: to assess the socio-demographic characteristics of the migration flow from the Russian Empire during the "pioneering" stage of the settlement of Argentina. Method of historical-demographic analysis of Russian migration in the context of other ethnic migration waves was used. Migrants from the Russian Empire ranked fourth among the foreigners who entered the country. Argentine census data from 1914 showed that migrants from the Russian Empire made up 1 per cent of the population, contributing to the economy. Migration from the Russian Empire to Argentina included three major ethnic waves: German, Jewish, and Polish-Lithuanian. The German-Mennonites came with capital and contributed to the development of agriculture. The Jewish wave of immigration to Argentina developed with the support of Baron Hirsch and the Jewish Colonisation Society. The migration of the inhabitants of the western border regions of the Russian Empire was represented by Jews, Poles, Lithuanians and Finns. The share of Russian (Orthodox) population among Russian migrants was insignificant, but has been steadily increasing since the beginning of the 20th century. Argentina's migration policy was open to foreigners, including Russian nationals. The integration of Russian immigrants into Argentine society proceeded rather quickly and successfully. The migration from the Russian Empire to Argentina was multinational. Among the natives of Russia were Jews, Germans, Poles and Lithuanians, while the proportion of ethnic Russians was insignificant.