Konstantin Parchevskii Papers

	The Konstantin Parchevskii Papers were donated to the Amherst
College Center for Russian Culture by Thomas Whitney, Amherst College
Class of 1937.  This one box of correspondence, manuscripts and printed
materials documents K. Parchevskii's personal life and professional
activities between 1920 and 1940.

	Konstantin Konstantinovich Parchevskii was born on January 28,
1891 in Vilno.  After graduation from St. Petersburg University, where he
was a student of jurisprudence in Professor Petrazhitskii's class, he
taught sociology at the University of Sudzha.  In 1922, Parchevskii became
one of those Russian intellectuals who were expelled on Lenin's order.  He
lived in Paris until his death. 

	Abroad he became a prominent journalist and secretary of the Union
of Russian Writers and Journalists in Paris.  Later he was in charge of
one of the departments at the major daily newspaper Poslednie novosti
(Latest News), edited by P. Miliukov and published without interruption
from 27 April 1920 to the day before the Germans entered Paris on 11 June
1940.

	The materials in the Parchevskii collection span the dramatic
period from 1920 to 1940 when Russian intellectuals struggled to survive
abroad and to preserve their culture.  His professional interests and
career served to keep him in contact with the entire Russian émigré
community.  Significant correspondence in the papers includes letters from
A. Cherny, A. Chichibabin, J. Halperine-Kaminsky, E. Prokopovich
(Kuskova), P. Struve, etc.

	The collection is divided into five series described as follows.

	I.  PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE, 1929-1939, 0.16 linear feet: This
series consists of the correspondence with friends and is arranged in
alphabetical order.

	II. PROFESSIONAL CORRESPONDENCE, 1931-1940, 0.34 linear feet: This
series reflects K. Parchevskii's professional activities and includes
general correspondence and letters from readers regarding his newspaper's
publications.  The series is arranged alphabetically by author and then
chronologically.  Unidentified correspondence has been placed at the
beginning of the series.  Separate listings have been given for each
correspondent with three or more letters.  Individuals writing one or two
letters have been placed in "Letter" general files.

	III. PROFESSIONAL AND RESEARCH MATERIALS, 1920-1940, 0.24 linear
feet: This series contains drafts and clippings of Parchevskii's articles,
his correspondence and research materials on specific topics, his lecture
notes and (a literary miscellany) Varia.  The series is arranged
alphabetically by subject and then chronologically.  

	IV. THIRD PARTY MATERIALS, 1920-1938, 0.18 linear feet: This
series is compiled of materials belonging to Parchevskii's colleagues and
unpublished manuscripts by various authors.  The series is arranged in
chronological order.

	V.  PHOTOGRAPHS AND POSTCARDS, n.d., 0.08 linear feet:  The series
consists of 8 photographs depicting Russian émigré events and 8 postcards. 

	RELATED MATERIAL: The Amherst College Center for Russian Culture
has information about K. Parchevskii beyond that found in this collection.
Sources include: Union of Russian Writers and Journalists Abroad Records.
Contact the Amherst College Center for Russian Culture for further
information.