White Russian refugees found second home in Tubabao Island in Samar
Due to the Russian Civil War in 1917, a faction called "White Russians," who opposed the leadership of Vladimir Lenin, fled their homeland to escape persecution. They stayed in Shanghai, China for 30 years but an impending attack by the Red Army forced them to evacuate.
They tried seeking shelter in other countries but to no avail until President Elpidio Quirino opened the doors of the Philippines to the White Russians in 1949, according to Atom Araullo's special report at the "State of the Nation."
The White Russians found refuge in Tubabao Island in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, where they lived in peace with Filipinos.
The language difference between Filipinos and Russians did not hinder the two races from forging friendship.
Fidel Delleva, a Guiuan resident, recalled that he was 11 years old when Russian women sought help from his father to gather young coconuts from a tree.
He said some of the Russian refugees and his father agreed that they will call the latter whenever they wanted to get a coconut.
Basilia Tan, a former local choir member, meanwhile, witnessed how the Russians were able to adapt to their new home.
"The Russians, they were very talented artists and musicians. They had their symphony orchestra that played our national anthem," she said.
Researcher Kinna Kwan said one of the legacies of the White Russian refugees was the sharing of art and culture, as many Guiuan locals learned how to play the piano, dance ballet, and sing operas.
One of the young Russian refugees then thought that their stay in the Philippines was a vacation.
"When I came to Tubabao, I was about seven years old. And what I remember, the country was very lush with the greenery. But the children, they all had fun, running down, going swimming... I no longer remember the hard times, because that's what children do," said Leo Zakharoff, a White Russian refugee.
Kwan said the Philippines' welcoming of White Russians was one of the earliest demonstrations of the country's providing durable solutions and protection to refugees.—Jamil Santos/AOL, GMA News