The committee for the provision of higher education to Russian youth abroad and its envoys to Italy

Between 1922 and 1930 there was in action a unique emigrant institution in Western Europe, the Committee for the Provision of Higher Education for Russian Youth Abroad, colloquially called the Fedorov’s Committee after the family name of its head Mikhail Fedorov. This institution had the important and difficult task of completing higher education for young emigrants who had not been able to do it in their homeland because of the First World War and the Civil War. Initially, it was assumed that these Russian graduates from Western universities would be able to use their professional baggage when they returned to Russia, but this did not happen. Nevertheless, getting an education helped them to arrange a decent life in exile. With the help of the Fedorov’s Committee, three humanities students were sent to Italy for education: L. Y. Ganchikov, P. A. Sokolov and P. V. Spassky. All of them had graduated from the Catholic University in Milan.