White Emigration Immersive Lecture 2026 in Dubai

White Emigration Immersive Lecture in Dubai takes place at Harat’s Republic in Business Bay on Thursday 5 November 2026. Known in Russian as «Белая эмиграция: иммерсивная лекция», the evening is presented in Russian by a host named Andrey and asks a simple, searching question: what happens to a culture when it loses its country? Doors open at 7pm, the session begins at 7:30pm and it runs for a little over an hour.

The story: Russia abroad in the 1920s

After the revolution, in the 1920s, millions of people found themselves living outside Russia. In Berlin, Paris, Prague and Harbin, they set about rebuilding the lives they had known. They founded publishing houses, launched newspapers and magazines, and argued about literature, about the future and about whether they should ever return home.

The lecture follows those émigré communities as they tried to carry a culture with them into new cities. It is a story about print and argument as much as exile: about what people chose to publish, what they chose to write about, and how they defined home when the country they came from had changed beyond recognition.

A lecture you take part in

The organisers are clear that this is not a lecture you listen to in silence. The audience is asked to make decisions on behalf of the people of the era:

• which publications to launch
• what to write about
• whom to argue with
• what to call home

Those choices shape how the story unfolds, so the evening is partly built by the people in the room. It is history told from the inside, with you in the position of the émigrés weighing up each decision.

Themes that travel

The evening is framed as a conversation about memory, language, identity and the weight of the choices people make. Those themes will feel familiar to anyone who lives far from the place where they grew up, which in Dubai describes a great many people. You do not need to be a historian to take part; a curiosity about how communities hold on to who they are when they move abroad is enough.

Who it suits

The session is entirely in Russian, so it is best for Russian speakers who are comfortable following, and joining, a discussion in the language. It suits anyone interested in history, literature and culture, and especially those curious about the Russian émigré world of Berlin, Paris, Prague and Harbin. The interactive format makes it a good fit for people who enjoy debate and would rather participate than take notes.

The listing does not state an age policy. If your plans change, tickets can be exchanged with another fan through Platinumlist.

Getting to Harat’s Republic

Harat’s Republic is on Al Abraj Street in Business Bay, in the Dubai Waterfront area. If you are driving, the listing suggests navigating to the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Waterfront, or simply to Al Abraj Street. By Metro, take the Red Line to Business Bay Station and walk for about ten minutes towards Dubai Waterfront. From the Marina side, the listing suggests the Dubai Tram to the Dubai Marina stop, then a taxi.

For more talks, culture and evenings out, see our art and culture listings, our workshops page and the full things to do in November round-up.