There has been a significant community of Russians in Belgium since the 19th century. [1]
Contents
- Migration history
- Numbers
- Notable people
- See also
- Footnotes
- Bibliography
- Further reading
- External links
There has been a significant community of Russians in Belgium since the 19th century. [1]
Migration from Russia to Belgium grew in line with increasing commercial relations between the two countries in the late 19th century. By 1910, there were already roughly 7,500 Russians in the country, including many students in universities at Brussels, Ghent, and Liège. [1] The post-Russian Revolution community of Russians in Belgium comprised mostly Russian military personnel. Former Tsarist officers maintained numerous relations with Belgian anti-communist organisations. [2] By 1937, there were already about 8,000 Russians in the country, largely concentrated in Brussels and the Francophone portions of the country. [3] Belgium was the only country whose Russian émigré population increased during the 1930s. [2]
As of 2008 [update] , official statistics showed 7,176 Russian citizens in Belgium. [4] Another 3,407 Russian citizens obtained Belgian nationality between 1992 and 2007. [5] Overall, 10,244 persons coming from countries of the former USSR obtained Belgian citizenship between 1990 and 2007. [5]
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Belgium, formally the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to the southwest, and the North Sea to the northwest. It covers an area of 30,528 km2 (11,787 sq mi) and has a population of more than 11.5 million, making it the 22nd most densely populated country in the world and the 6th most densely populated country in Europe, with a density of 376/km2 (970/sq mi). Belgium is part of an area known as the Low Countries, historically a somewhat larger region than the Benelux group of states, as it also included parts of northern France. The capital and largest city is Brussels; other major cities are Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi, Liège, Bruges, Namur, and Leuven.
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