Alexander Lebedev: Miller, Oil Manufacturer, Wrangel’s Officer, Builder of Yugoslav Railways

The article outlines the life story of a Russian emigrant, Alexander Lebedev, who participated in the construction of the railway line Ormož – Ljutomer – Murska Sobota in the years 1923–1924. As a senior worker, Lebedev was often in conflict with some of the former officers of Wrangel’s army, then employees on the railway line, who therefore filed a criminal complaint against him with Yugoslav authorities on suspicion of communist propaganda. In the established Yugoslav and Russian-Tsarist political imaginary, communist activity was considered a heinous crime, but at the same time it served to unify the two cultural entities, enabling Lebedev to forge a mental bond with his new homeland. The criminal file of the District Court in Maribor reveals the difficulties experienced by Russian emigrants in adjusting to their changed social position and new cultural situation, the most pressing problem being the cancellation of the former military hierarchy.