Mitrofan Ivanovich Retivov: Russian emigrant doctor about the life of a Bulgarian village in the 1920s

Abstract

The article discusses the memoirs of Mitrofan Ivanovich Retivov about his life in the 1920s in Bulgaria. The unpublished memoirs were written shortly after moving out of the country. They tell about the fate of the Russian emigration, its difficult life and gradual decomposition. All this the author observed while working in Russian hospitals in Nessebar and Lyaskovets. The memoirs also contain interesting information about the life of Bulgarian peasants, which Retivov studied well — he served as a doctor in several villages (Mericleri, Sushitsa, Archara). The author notes the craving for the achievements of scientific medicine along with the preservation of traditions in the behavior of peasants (collective visits to the doctor, unwillingness to undress, faith in healers) and their everyday life (poor conditions in homes and diet, lack of interest in art). At the same time, Retivov had to face difficulties caused by local bureaucracy and competition from Bulgarian colleagues. The fate of the author of the memoirs is quite significant for Russian doctors-emigrants in Bulgaria — by the end of the 1920s, most of them moved from villages to cities or left the country. Therefore, the article reconstructs the life path of M. I. Retivov, who was born in Don stanitsa and then lived in exile in Bulgaria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Paraguay and found his last shelter in Argentina.

Received: 01.12.2020.

Citation
Gusev N. S. Mitrofan Ivanovich Retivov: Russian emigrant doctor about the life of a Bulgarian village in the 1920s // Slavic Almanac. 2021. No 1–2. P. 60–77 (in Russian). DOI: 10.31168/2073-5731.2021.1-2.1.04