Some facts about the Albazin people

There are almost no Albazins left today.

The only statistical data after the founding of the People's Republic of China was the "Survey Report on the Situation of Ethnic Minorities Surrounding Beijing" in 1957. At that time, there were only 267 Albazin descendants living near Beijing. In 1963, the national household registration department classified them as Russians, but the society still called them the "Maozi Eight Banners". Around 1960, some Albazin people re-acquired Soviet citizenship and returned to their country. During the Cultural Revolution, due to their family background and special appearance, many people were classified as "Five Black Category Elements" on charges of "old Manchurian imperial food" or "Soviet revisionist spies". Some were thrown into prison, and some were exiled to Qinghai, Yunnan, etc. Many people were tortured to death, and some chose to commit suicide. After the 1980s, several remaining Albazin families voluntarily changed their household registration to Han for fear of further persecution. In 1998, the Itakov family (Chinese surname Yao), the last Albazin family in China, applied for an immigration visa through the Russian Consulate in Shanghai and returned to China in 1999.