In the Russian original, Chapter Six of JUDGEMENT IN MOSCOW ("The Coming of Gorbachov") was called “The Appearance of Tchichikoff” -- a comparison between Mikhail Gorbachov and Russia’s most famous conman, the hero of Gogol’s classic DEAD SOULS. Bukovsky doubted whether Gorbachov was indeed the man, who "did more than any other to change Europe … Continue reading Gorbachov (‘Chichikov’) Appears: Chapter 6.
One vivid section of JUDGEMENT IN MOSCOW describes two of the three punishments to which Bukovsky was himself subjected as an active opponent of the Soviet regime. He also served time in prison and the camps. After his conviction, he was sent in 1972 to Vladimir Central, the prison where 'serious offenders' were held, and … Continue reading Deportation or the Madhouse: Chapter 4
(Updated 8 June 2026) Two years ago a revised BOOK version of Bukovsky's last major work was posted on this site. Lengthy chapters (e.g. "Back to the Future", 76,000 words, 182 footnotes) were broken down into shorter form but retained their numerous footnotes and unillustrated texts. Now an ONLINE version is being added. Footnote references … Continue reading Judgement in Moscow (online)
Two additions to the website outline events taking place at three levels and on three different TIMESCALES: A Wider World (1914-2014); Russia and the USSR (1917-2015); the Life and Work of Vladimir Bukovsky (1942-2019). * Chronology One: 1914-76 Covers the period from the outbreak of World War One up to the exchange of Bukovsky in … Continue reading 04. Chronology (1914-2019)
"So many fantastic lies have been created about Gorbachov and his 'reforms',” wrote Bukovsky in the opening words of Chapter 12, "that we can trust only the documents." Can we? The documents tell a different story, of that we can be sure. Whether it is the complete and final version of events and fully explains … Continue reading “Opinion & Evidence” (update 2)
TWO MAJOR COMPONENTS make up this website: [1] classified documents found in 1992 in the CPSU Central Committee archive by Bukovsky, and [2] his last major work, "Judgement in Moscow", where his views are supported by extensive quotations from those clandestine texts. Neither is complete without the other. The documents require interpretation; the assertions in … Continue reading “Judgement” & CC Documents (update 1)
KGB REPORT (Kryuchkov) to Central Committee [3.4; 4]. "Provocative statements" made at October 1988 Moscow conference organised by the Memorial Society [R: 16 Nov 88, 1979-K]. 5 pp. ============================ [page one of five] 16 November 1988, No 1979-K To the CPSU Central Committee Concerning provocative statements made by certain participants of the All-Union Voluntary Historical … Continue reading Founding “Memorial” (1979-K, 16 Nov ’88*)
Sorsa, "a confidential contact". SECRETARIAT. Ambassador to visit Kalevi SORSA, chairman of Finnish Social Democratic Party and "confidential contact", and congratulate him on his 50th birthday. Includes message to ambassador and preceding note (11 December 1980, 18‑S‑21) from Anatoly CHERNYAEV, p. 3 [R: 16 Dec 80, St 241-108]. 8 pp. ============================ [page one of eight] … Continue reading Sorsa “contact” (16 Dec ’80*, St 241/108)
STALIN’s written permission for the Krasnoyarsk Region (Siberia) to carry out over six thousand additional “1st category arrests” (executions). Instruction in pencil on a small, plain slip of paper [R 31 December 1938]. One page. ======================= Permit Krasnoyarsk Region 6,600 additional ‘1st category’ arrests. For: Stalin, I.V. ============================== NOTES This instruction came two months after … Continue reading Stalin, Siberian Executions (31 Dec ’38*)
* Support for Sinyavsky and Daniel. KGB REPORT. Measures against people defending SINYAVSKY and DANIEL [R: 27 January 1967, No 162] 5 pp (excerpts). ===================================== [page one of five, 9 February 1967] 9 February 1967, Minute No. 32 Not to be included in the Minutes (1.) This matter is not to be included for discussion. … Continue reading Sinyavsky & Daniel (27 Jan ’67*, Pb 32/5)
Corvalan-Bukovsky exchange. POLITBURO. Decision on the exchange of CORVALAN (feature photo) for BUKOVSKY (p. 1). Contains four other documents, Six pp (excerpt): INSTRUCTIONS to Soviet ambassadors in [1] Washington (A. Dobrynin) and [2] Bern, Switzerland (pp. 2-4); [3] draft EDICT concerning "the eviction of Bukovsky from the USSR" (p. 5); and [4] jointly signed SUBMISSION … Continue reading Corvalan-Bukovsky (15 Dec ’76*, Pb 38/46)
KGB REPORT to the Central Committee (Politburo) by Vladimir KRYUCHKOV, new KGB head (1988-1991) on Andrei SAKHAROV’s funeral [R: 20 Dec 89, 3 pp. 2568-K]. 3 pp. ============================= [page one of three] kb-4 [two illegible words] DISTRIBUTED No. 1658. Secret '177' Copy No. 2. 20 December 1989, No. 2568-K. To the CPSU Central Committee [STAMP: … Continue reading Mourning Sakharov’s death (20 Dec ’89*, 2568-K)
* Brandt/Sorsa: Disarmament & Afghanistan POLITBURO decision. Information for Willy BRANDT (FRG; feature photo) and Kalevi SORSA (Finland) about Soviet views on Disarmament and Afghanistan [R: 1 February 1980, Pb 182/2]. 20 pp (excerpts with VKB commentary). ========================= [page one of twenty] [Vertical text along left margin] Return within [illegible] days to CPSU Central Committee … Continue reading Disarmament & Afghanistan (1 Feb ’80*, Pb 182/2)
* Putting Helsinki Group members & "spies" on trial. JOINT MEMORANDUM to Central Committee from KGB, USSR Procurator-General and ?Ministry of Justice. Delay trials of “anti-Soviet elements” -- [a] dissidents Anatoly SHCHARANSKY, Alexander GINZBURG, Yury ORLOV and Zviad GAMSAKHURDIA; and [b] "spies" Lubman, Filatov and Nilov -- until a politically suitable time [R: 1 April … Continue reading Helsinki Groups & “spies” (1 April ’78*, 785-A)
* International Department rejects Irish request. INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT turns down request from Sean GARLAND (feature photo), General Secretary of the Workers' Party (Republic of Ireland), to provide "special training" for 5 people. 21 December 1988 memo in support from the KGB [R: 6 January 1989]. 2 pp. ======================================================= [page one of two] SPECIAL FILE Top … Continue reading Irish request rejected (06 Jan ’89*)
POLITBURO meeting. Alexander YAKOVLEV reports on the Eighth Congress of the Writers' Union. Ways to manage changes in the union's bureaucracy discussed [R: 26 Jun 86, Pb]. 5 pp. * Yakovlev on Congress of USSR Writers' Union ========================================== [page one of five] Top Secret Single Copy (Draft Minutes) MEETING OF CPSU POLITBURO, 26 June 1986 … Continue reading Yakovlev & Writers’ Union (26 June ’86*, Pb)
SECRETARIAT. Meet request from Lebanese Communist Party leadership for the military training of 12 people [R: 29 December 1973, St 108-62]. 2 pp. * Military Training for Lebanese CP ======================================= [page one of two] No. St 108/62, 29 December 1973 SPECIAL FILE Top Secret RESOLUTION of the CPSU Central Committee Secretariat Re. the request of … Continue reading Training for Lebanese CP (29 Dec ’73*, St 108/62)
KGB REPORT (Chebrikov) indicates the numbers serving a sentence under Articles 70 [114], 190-1 [119] & 142 [10] of the RSFSR Criminal Code. One third [96] were held in psychiatric institutions. Applications for a pardon from such prisoners are to be encouraged [R: 1 Feb 87, 183-Ch]. 9 pp (excerpts). ====================================== [page one of nine] 1 … Continue reading Articles 70, 190-1 & 142 (1 Feb ’87*, 183-Ch)
SECRETARIAT decision. Consider KGB analysis of recent changes in samizdat: make proposals to deal with the phenomenon. Includes 4-page KGB report (21 December 1970, 3461-A) on shift from literature to politics [R: 15 January 1971, St 119-11]. Total 5 pp. ================================= [page one of five] Workers of all Lands, Unite! COMMUNIST PARTY OF THE SOVIET … Continue reading Changes in samizdat (15 Jan ’71*, St 119/11)
Giovanni Cervetti (PCI) visit to Moscow. SECRETARIAT Resolution. Visit to the Soviet Union by Giovanni CERVETTI [feature photo], a member of the Italian Communist Party (PCI) leadership, during which financial matters were to be discussed. Includes 4 October 1979 (25-S-1803) memorandum from ZAGLADIN [R: 5 October 1979, St 179-32]. 3 pp. =============================== [page one of … Continue reading Cervetti (PCI) in Moscow (5 Oct ’79*, St 179/32)
The fifth chapter in the online version of JUDGEMENT IN MOSCOW offers insight into the beliefs of Soviet Party and KGB rulers, the dubious role of the infiltrated NTS and Bukovsky's own experience of the same, and the years of pressure exerted by the KGB on Andrei Sinyavsky and his wife Maria Rozanova. Bukovsky's view … Continue reading What “They” Believed: Chapter 5
From 2013 to 2015, I translated Bukovsky’s JUDGEMENT IN MOSCOW from Russian into English; I also retrieved hundreds of footnotes from the 1995 French edition of the book. Here now, in an ONLINE version (Chapters 1 to 6 thus far), those footnotes are included as links to accessible online translations and some untranslated Russian documents; … Continue reading “Too Few”? Chapters 1-3
[About the Compiler, Vladimir Bukovsky] Over 700 files, some including several documents, are to be found in this archive. In total, they contain more than 4,500 pages. Over three quarters of the notes in Part One, and more than half of the notes in Part Two, of JUDGEMENT in MOSCOW derive from files in this … Continue reading Using this Archive (June 2026)
