In Tahiti, you can still meet locals with Russian names such as Maxim, Igor, Maria, Ilya, and Tatiana. From 1987 to 1991, the Prime Minister of French Polynesia was Alexander Maximovich Leontiev, of Russian descent. How did it happen that this distant Pacific island became partially Slavic?

It all began with the white emigration, a tragedy for Russia. After the Civil War, tens of thousands of our compatriots scattered around the world, and some settled in Tahiti. The head of the local Russian community became General Maxim Nikolaevich Leontiev. Born in the Tambov province, he graduated from the Page Corps at 19, participated in World War I, and commanded the Expeditionary Corps in Macedonia. Not accepting the revolution, Leontiev moved to France, and then, fearing persecution from the Soviets, relocated to Tahiti.

The emigrants built several houses and organized a small farm. All the children were baptized in the Orthodox faith, which piqued the interest of the locals. Russian names became popular, and Tahitians began naming their children in our way. After World War II, Maxim Leontiev sold his remaining business in France and opened a hotel and restaurant in Tahiti. Shortly before his death, he was offered French citizenship, but he refused, considering himself a subject of the already non-existent Russian Empire.

The general's grandchildren became prominent politicians in Tahiti, achieving autonomy for their new homeland and fighting for the rights of the local population. Maxim Nikolaevich Leontiev passed away on June 9, 1948, and his death was a true sorrow for the Tahitians. A large Orthodox cross was later erected at his grave.