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. The individual files are grouped by date. Each file is listed by date and number. For example

22 January 1970*, Pb 151-XIII [3.6] – Politburo. KGB proposals, based on Krasnodar experience, to greatly expand use of psychiatric treatment. [R 22 January 1970, Pb 151-XIII] total 5 pp.

A link to the Russian original is at the end of the annotation. If a translation exists the opening date forms a hyperlink to the English version. When a file is more than one page in length the total number of pages is given at the very end of the annotation.

The alternative thematic grouping of these files is indicated by the number(s) in square brackets immediately after the date and cypher: [3.6] in the example above  refers to “The abuse of psychiatry for political purposes”.

Russian contents lists are linked to each thematic section in the archives.

English translation

Two hundred of the files have been translated into English. Many have been uploaded to this site; others, for the time being, remain on the earlier online version of this archive.

All the translated files are distinguished by an asterisk following the year (e.g. 4 February 1938*, No 95/III). Those already on this website are listed by theme under “Translations” in the right-hand sidebar of this page (e.g. 2.1 Terror and repression (pre-1975).

Russian original

You can access scanned versions of the original Soviet documents by clicking on the hyperlink at the end of each file’s short annotation, e.g. [R 17 February 1938, Pb 58/57]. Due to the circumstances in which the documents were obtained, see excerpt from Judgment in Moscow, the quality of reproduction varies.

Classification

These classified documents are from the Central Committee archive of the Soviet Communist Party. They most commonly bear one of two prefixes: St for Secretariat, or Pb for Politburo.

Another common type of document is distinguished by a variety of suffixed letters. These indicate a memorandum submitted to the Central Committee by the then current head of the KGB, e.g. -A for Yu.V. ANDROPOV (1967-1982); -Ch for V.M. CHEBRIKOV (1982-1988); and -K for  V.A. KRYUCHKOV (1988-1991).

JC, 30 August 2016