Nearly every day brings news "of some member of the Russian colony leaving for Australia, the United States, Canada or the countries of South America. So far, it is true, "they are leaving one by one, but their number is gradually increasing. That employee of some department of the Municipal Council who has just received his superannuation fund after long years of service, that businessman who all his lifetime laid up capital for a rainy day, that architect or contractor who believes that two or three years will have to WE before conditions enjoyed by "Shanghai up to the August of 1937 will return—all these leave. And although their number is- comparatively minute, the number of those wishing to leave is much larger. The theme has become the most fashionable in Russian circles, overshadowing even conversations on summer resorts. Everyone seems to be wishing himself at a respectful distance from the Far East, everyone seems to be recollecting friends or relatives living somewhere in America—people with whom a correspondence might be started and who may—who knows?—even send for them. Newspapers have even launched a campaign against this epidemic, which shows—if it does nothing else—that faith among Russians in the future of Shanghai has suddenly started to fall.
In connection with the forthcoming celebration of the 950th anniversary of the baptism of Russia Guring the reign of the Tsar-Saint Vladimir, a special committee headed by Bishop Juvenálius has decided to issue a publication devoted to the Occasion and has announced a com-fled to Shanghai and worked in the local British American Tobacco Company for seven years and who in 1930 left for the United States, There he took to music, being a talented accompanyist and taking part in organizing concerts of the most varied kind. He died of heart-disease, being only 50 years old.
Young Pianist's Success According to information from Belgium, Miss Fausta Saharova, young Shanghai pianist, has finished the Royal Conservatory, taking first place in the final examinations. Miss Saharova, who is only 20 years of age, left Shanghai two years ago. Here she studied piano under the well-known Prof. B. S. Zakharoff, and already attracted attention by appearing with the Municipal Orchestra and at scholastic concerts. The young pianists father, Gen. N.P. Saharov, says that his talented daughter will spend some time in Europe and will arrive in Shang-bai im the beginning of September.
Russian orientalists and all who studied at e Oriental Institute at Vladivostok Will be sorry to hear that Prof. Petr Schmidt, Doctor of Phi-ology, died in Riga on June 5. Wel known in the Far East, Prof. Schmidt for many years taught the Chinese language and literature at Vladivostok, and^took ceaseless trips over China that on occasion brought him to Shanghai In 1891 Prof, Schmidt entered the Moscow Imperial University. Later, he was transferred to St. Petersburg, where he joined the faculty of Oriental languages. This he finished with full honours, acquiring excellent knowledge of the Chinese, Mongol Manchurian and Kalmik tongues, In the end of the preceding century Prof, Schmidt was sent from Russia to Peking where he continued his scientific investigations, and between the years 1899 and 1920 he was a member of the professoriate of the Vladivostok Institute. Following the revolution, he returned to his own country, where, in Riga, he lectured on philology, Latvian folklore and mythology. He attempted to found a faculty for studying Eastern subjects, and under his direction a score or so of students studied matters pertaining to the Far East. Prof. Schmidt left many books after him, the majority of which have been translated into German.
Comings and Goings Mr. N. L Kolesnichenko, well-known barrister-at-law, has left for a holiday in Japan from where he means to go to Tsingtao where he has a house of his own. Mr. F. J. Brinner, one of the largest industrialists of Manchuria, whose firm has branches in Harbin, Dairen and other cities, has recently arrived in Shanghai. Mr. Brinner, who is here om matters of business, will leave shotty. Miss Fina Rox, youthful singer, has arrived here from Tsing-iao in order to take part in the beauty contest to choose the Miss Shanghai of 1938. Later Miss Rox intends to return to this popular summer resort.
A White Ball was held in the Ex-
Officers' Union on July 8, organized. by the Society of Russian Students for all Russian young men and women who this year graduated from local middle-schools and colleges. The necessary funds were gathered by the Ladies' Circle, and the whole idea must be acknowledged a very happy one. The Russian Students' Society likewise helps those Russians who, while receiving a higher education in one of the local Chinese or foreign universities, must at the same time earn their living.
Mr. N. M. Sokolsky, well-known balletmeister whose recent lecture before the Rotary Club on the history Of the Russian Ballet stirred such interest, is, following the request of parents, opening a school of ballet for young people. Mr. Sokolsky is a propagandist of the necessity of learning dancing, averring that is invaluable both to young men and women as a means of physical culture Girls as future mothers, especially profit from experienced instruction, as it is his opinion that dancing not only develops grace but is useful in that "a ballerina is never in the danger of faulty childbearing."
Mr. A. V. Shimanovsky, a young engineer specializing on radios, has recently arrived here from Harbin. Mr. Shimanovsky, who once gave courses on radio and published his own Russian-language magazine dealing with progress in that field, at present proposes to organize courses for training radio-technicians, Furthermore, he holds that Russian— and perhaps even foreign—Shanghai should have a good professional school for young men who, finishing school, cannot continue their education and yet must find a vocation. Shanghai lacks good specialists, and this often leads to a state of affairs Whereby young men who could be of value to the community, cannot set a professional education and fall victim. to the temptations of the big city. "Mr. Shimanovsky's immediate plans are of modest proportions. He will start by organizing courses for radio-technicians, and if these beginnings meet with success—as was the case in Harbin—he will expand his courses to include other useful professions.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.