'Roamer' (The Sunday Times, August 26) refers to "the curiously named Exiles".
Following the Russian revolution of 1917 many Russian refugees (including Princess Nathalie Poutiatine) came to Malta. After some difficulty finding accommodation, a number of them were housed at "St Ignatius", a building, which still stands, at the back of St Ignatius Chapel in Old College Street, Sliema.
According to my late grandfather, these refugees went swimming in Sliema on that part of the beach which came to be known as "ta' l-Exiles", as it is currently still called.