“Married to a Foreigner”: A Chance of Not Returning to the Post-War USSR

Abstract

This essay investigates marriages between displaced Soviet citizens and foreigners, in the context of problems of repatriation to the USSR after World War II, especially given previous policies on foreigners and persons without citizenship, as well as legislation on international marriages. The article analyses marriage statistics for 1945–1948, collected by the Soviet repatriation services, and the registration mechanisms and practices of repatriation for this category of citizens. Based on materials of the Office for Repatriation under the Council of People’s Commissars/Council of Ministers of the USSR, the legal framework for managing international marriages and specific steps to counteract the change of citizenship and repatriation to the USSR by persons who married foreigners are analysed to show how the USSR sought to complete repatriation from controlled countries of Eastern Europe, demanding that satellites assist in the registration and removal of all Soviet citizens. Real practice was based on maneuvering between prohibitions of international marriages and their legitimation, which made it possible to optimize repatriation, while levelling out massive departures from the country. The decision of the Soviet government of 24 July, 1945, endorsed by Stalin, authorising marriages with foreigners made during the war, and this remained in effect until the adoption of the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR from 15 February, 1947, banning them. The USSR did not manage to avoid new mass emigration following the war, including to countries of Eastern Europe. However, Soviet citizenship was imposed on some “defectors” that potentially made it possible to control this population.