CYIL vol. 9 (2018)

DALIBOR JÍLEK CYIL 9 ȍ2018Ȏ of the Ministry of Interior, a personal certificate of residency was issued on the basis of a certificate provided to the individuals concerned by the Supportive Union of Zemstvos and Towns of Russia in Prague ( Zemgor ). 45 Prague Zemgor , 46 which was instituted at the instigation of the former President of the Moscow City Duma, O. S. Minor. Former deputies or representatives of municipal or city authorities were represented in its composition. 47 The Association was aimed at helping Russian refugees. A similar association established in France enjoyed the status of the main and supreme body in the matters of relief to Russian and Armenian refugees. Police and political organs were called upon to treat these certificates of residency as documents with official validity. The certificate was recognized as a public document. Its function was to identify the refugee, but with a double effect. The personal certificate certified the holder’s identity exclusively within the state. The specimen of the personal certificate did not have a particular space for a picture, but a photo was placed in the lower left corner. 48 The personal certificate did not even include personal identification data, such as the day, month, and year of birth or a detailed description of the holder. Furthermore, the public document certified Russian nationality. In this regard, the personal certificate had merely internal effects of confirming the holder’s nationality. According to the certificate, the person was a Russian national. The identification function of the certificate did not pertain to other sovereign states; the certificate of residency had no international validity. The personal certificate also fulfilled a permissive function. The Czechoslovak state permitted the Russian national unrestricted residency and the freedom of movement within its borders. 49 Whether personal certificates declared some form of surrogate de facto protection, which would distinguish a Russian refugee from any other non-national, was a sensitive and unanswered legal question. The circular also featured a specimen of the personal certificate: CERTIFICATE The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czechoslovak Republic hereby confirms that .……. Mr./Mrs. .……………………..…..………….. from………………….....…....…………….. 45 Circular of the Ministry of Interior no. 22382-5, 24 March 1921. Official gazette of the Ministry of Interior of the Czechoslovak Republic , Praha: Rolnické tiskárny, 1921, ročník III, p. 128. 46 This authority had its origin in the self-governing system of villages and towns, which mainly cared for economic well-being. The bodies were established under the rule of Tsar Alexander II in 1864. During World War I, it was decided to establish the All-Russia Union of Zemstvos as a voluntary association of municipalities that provided medical assistance. 47 There were 9 founders. 48 This is proved by a conserved personal certificate. 49 Rusové v Československé republice; osobní průkazy. Circular of the Ministry of Interior no. 22382-5, 24 March 1921. Official gazette of the Ministry of Interior of the Czechoslovak Republic, Praha: Rolnické tiskárny, 1921, ročník III, p. 128. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czechoslovak Republic Politic. Section: Russian Department

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