The process of large-scale emigration of creative people and intelligentsia from the country is called a brain drain. The term appeared in the last century in the post-war period, was introduced by the Royal Royal Scientific Society, concerned about the relocation of domestic leading engineers and scientists from the UK to America. In the USSR, in the scientific literature, this term began to be used in the 60s of the XX century. Although the problem of brain drain from Russia was relevant throughout the past century. And the damage from this large-scale phenomenon can be considered truly colossal.
Causes
Emigrants leave their homeland forever and move to other countries for permanent residence for various reasons. Prerequisites here may be political, financial, economic, moral. This is especially sad in cases when educated people leave: qualified young cadres, honored representatives of art, culture, famous scientists who want to realize their unused creative potential, improve their status, material level.
The brain drain from Russia occurred mainly in North America and Europe, in the states of the Near and Far East.
Antibolshevitskaya wave
The beginning of the so-called "white emigration" was laid immediately after the October Revolution. The fierce and bloody political struggle of those years resulted in the Bolsheviks coming to power and enormous changes in the social life of the state. The wave of people wishing to leave the country by 1919 was gradually growing, and very soon this phenomenon became widespread. Among those who disagree with the new government and are forced to rush for this reason there were a huge number of intellectuals: doctors, engineers, writers, scientists, literary figures, actors, artists.
The number of refugees in the post-revolutionary period was:
- as of November 1, 1920 - 1 million 194 thousand people;
- as of August 1921 - 1.4 million people;
- in the period from 1918 to 1924 - a total of at least 5 million people.
The brain drain from Russia in those years was not only voluntary, but also forced. In 1922-1923, similar actions were carried out by the Soviet government on the initiative of Lenin. Then the number of science and culture workers forcibly expelled from the country amounted to more than 160 people.
Emigrants from the USSR in recent years
After the first post-revolutionary wave of immigrants subsided, the mental emigration to the USSR practically stopped for some period. Until the 60s of the last century, the problem of brain drain from Russia did not acutely arise. Refugees who wanted to leave the country because of dissatisfaction with the new order have already moved to different parts of the world. And the new generation of intelligentsia, abandoned on the Bolshevik field, lived in anticipation of the promised bright future, economic and creative take-off of society.
But even if someone wanted to leave, he did not have such an opportunity. Only in the 60s, when political pressure and repressions decreased, did the desire of young specialists and senior intellectuals to go abroad to work gradually begin to increase. Many of those who left the country did not return back. A similar tendency manifested itself more and more from year to year until the collapse of the USSR.
The reasons for mental emigration turned out to be most often the material plan. People wanted to get good money for their work. And the standard of living, as well as the payment for qualified personnel in Europe and America, was many times higher. A brain drain from Russia in those years was also observed for political reasons. It was increasingly believed that it was capitalism, in contrast to socialism, that gives real freedom for the creativity, growth and development of the individual.
The wave of the early 90's
The economic crisis and the unstable political situation of the late 80s and early 90s gave rise to a new, powerful wave of emigration and, as a result, a brain drain.
According to the State Statistics Committee, since 1987 people moved to the following countries for permanent residence:
Germany - 50% of those who left the country;
Israel - 25% of emigrants;
USA - about 19%;
Finland, Canada, Greece - 3%;
Other countries - 3%.
Only in 1990, 729 thousand people went abroad, of which at least 200 thousand scientists and people with higher education.
At first, emigration for the most part resonated with repressions and political pressure carried out earlier in the USSR. Then the reasons for the brain drain from Russia were most of all hidden in the poverty and disorder of people in those years, the lack of prospects and hope for a secure happy future at home.
In the second half of the 90s, the flow of people wishing to leave began to decrease. In 1995, according to official figures, only 79.6 thousand people left the country.
The situation at the beginning of the XXI century
Is the brain drain from Russia decreasing in the new millennium?
The 1998 economic crisis doubled the number of people wishing to leave compared to previous years. But by 2007-2008, the number of citizens dissatisfied with the state of affairs at home, fell sharply. Then oil prices rose significantly. As a result, the country has established economic stability and prosperity. After the nightmares of the 90s, it seemed to people that they were in a real paradise. They lived with hopes for the future, but young people still went to study abroad. Mainly to Germany, England, as well as to the USA and other countries.
Political events in the state and the world in 2014 and after became the impetus for a new active brain drain. Therefore, at present, this process is continuing intensively, and the scale of this phenomenon is becoming threatening. According to some reports, 70% of young people who have received a good education either go abroad or live in the hope that they will soon leave the country. The reasons lie in the low salary at home for qualified specialists, economic and political instability, and insecurity in the future.
Effects
The country, which is left by highly qualified personnel and representatives of the intelligentsia, suffers not only moral, cultural, political, but also very noticeable economic damage. A lot of money is spent to educate educated people, to learn and constantly raise their level, but the state has no return on this - these are the consequences of a brain drain from Russia.
On the contrary, the states that host talented young people, intellectuals, and prominent scientists and artists remain to the great advantage. At no cost, they get personnel that help their prosperity.