The exodus from the “House of slavery”: the repatriation of Lithuanian Jews from Soviet Ukraine in the early 1920s

Purpose – to analyze the repatriation of Lithuanian Jews from Soviet Ukraine in the early 1920s, identifying its scale, key features, and obstacles. Methodology is based on the analysis of archival materials from Soviet institutions, combining an institutional approach with microhistorical examination of individual cases. The novelty lies in reconstructing the repatriation process using previously underutilized archival sources and demonstrating its instrumental role in state policy, which contributed to the marginalization of Jewish refugees. Conclusions. Over 65,000 refugees from Lithuania were present in Soviet Ukraine, more than two-thirds of them Jews; about 25,000–30,000 were repatriated in 1921–1922, including 17,000–20,000 Jews. The process served state interests rather than humanitarian aims.