Most white Ã migrÃ s left Russia between 1917 and 1920 . Between 900,000 and two million people left . Most white Ã migrÃ s left Russia from 1917 to 1920 ( estimates vary between 900,000 and 2 million ) , although some managed to leave during the twenties and thirties or were exiled by the Soviet Government ( such as , for example , philosopher Ivan Ilyin ) .