▁Russian ▁Civil ▁War ▁were ▁Rus si ans . ▁ ▁Background : ▁Chinese ▁speak ers ▁in ▁Russia ▁Lar ge ▁numbers ▁of ▁Chinese ▁lived ▁and ▁worked ▁in ▁Si ber ia ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁Russian ▁Empire . ▁Many ▁of ▁these ▁migr ant ▁workers ▁were ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁European ▁part ▁of ▁Russia ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁U ral ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁ac ute ▁short age ▁of ▁workers ▁there . ▁For ▁example , ▁by ▁ 1 9 1 6 ▁there ▁were ▁about ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁Chinese ▁workers ▁in ▁Nov gor od ▁Governor ate . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 6 - 1 9 1 7 ▁about ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁Chinese ▁workers ▁were ▁employed ▁in ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁Russian ▁fort ifications ▁around ▁the ▁G ulf ▁of ▁Finland . ▁A ▁significant ▁number ▁of ▁them ▁were ▁conv icted ▁ro bb ers ▁( h ong hu zi , ▁" Red ▁Be ards ", ▁transl iter ated ▁into ▁Russian ▁as ▁" kh unk hu zy ", ▁х ун ху зы ) ▁transferred ▁from ▁kat org a ▁labor ▁cam ps ▁in ▁Har bin ▁and ▁other ▁locations ▁in ▁the ▁Far ▁Eastern ▁regions ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire . ▁After ▁the ▁Russian ▁Revolution , ▁some ▁of ▁them ▁stayed ▁in ▁Finland ▁and ▁took ▁part ▁as ▁volunte ers ▁in ▁the ▁ ▁Finn ish ▁Civil ▁War ▁on ▁the ▁al lied ▁commun ist ▁side . ▁After ▁ 1 9 1 7 ▁many ▁of ▁these ▁Chinese ▁workers ▁joined ▁the ▁Red ▁Army . ▁The ▁vast ▁majority ▁of ▁these ▁Chinese ▁were ▁ap olit ical ▁and