Repressive policies, political prisoners and trends in non-violent resistance Speaker: Elena SANNIKOVA in Russian with interpretation ♦ 5 to 6.45 pm, Thursday, 16 May at Main Seminar Room, Central and East European Studies, Lilybank Gardens, University of Glasgow (Gilmorehill campus) ♦ Over the past 10 years, the level of repression has been steadily rising in Russia. … Continue reading Civil Protest in Russia, yesterday and today (16 May, Glasgow)
Guided Search
250 names of places, people, publications and organisations are shown in the Guided Search section of the right-hand column. (Аnother eighty are being recorded.) ♦ Soviet Republics and cities (see also Maps) The described events all took place in the USSR and its 15 constituent Union Republics. e.g. Uzbek SSR. (Certain Autonomous Republics (ASSR) within … Continue reading Guided Search
USING THIS WEBSITE
The 63 published and translated issues of A Chronicle of Current Events can be accessed through the menu bar above. (1) Many of the early issues (CCE 1-24 : April 1968-May 1972) have been fully digitized The contents of every report they contain may be searched in a variety of ways as indicated in the … Continue reading USING THIS WEBSITE
No 62 : 14 July 1981
THE STRUGGLE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE SOVIET UNION CONTINUES None of the reports in this issue have been digitised. Page numbers for the pdf version (CCE No 62, see below) are given to the right of the items in this Contents page * 1. The Death of Juri Kukk [6] 2. The Arrest of … Continue reading No 62 : 14 July 1981
Religious Persecution in Lithuania, March 1972 (24.6)
<<No 24 : 5 March 1972>> The Chronicle is in possession of the complete text of the final address of the priest Juozas Zdebskis at his trial on 11 November 1971 (CCE 22 & 23), which the Judge did not allow him to deliver. On 30 November 1971 134 priests from the Panevezys diocese appealed … Continue reading Religious Persecution in Lithuania, March 1972 (24.6)
Arrests in Ukraine, March 1972 (24.3)
<<No 24 : 5 March 1972>> In Kiev and Lvov between 11 and 14 January a number of searches were carried out and 19 persons arrested, eleven in Kiev and eight in Lvov. Those arrested in Kiev were: [1] Ivan Svitlychny, a literary scholar [aged 42]. The search was in connection with the case of … Continue reading Arrests in Ukraine, March 1972 (24.3)
Renewal of Fainberg and Borisov’s Hunger-Strike, January 1972 (23.4)
<<No 23 : 5 January 1972>> Victor Fainberg and Vladimir Borisov, who are in the Leningrad Special Psychiatric Hospital, declared a new hunger-strike on 26 December 1971 (on their previous hunger-strike see CCE 19.3 and CCE 22.8, item 14). Between 20 and 26 December 1971 Fainberg appealed to the USSR Minister of Health, Academician Petrovsky, … Continue reading Renewal of Fainberg and Borisov’s Hunger-Strike, January 1972 (23.4)
Letters and Statements, November 1971 (22.10)
«No 22 : 10 November 1971» [1] Editorial from the Ukrainian Herald No. 5 (here reproduced in abridged form) “Some members of the Ukrainian public who are familiar with Russian samizdat works are studying the attitude towards the nationalities question in general, and to that of the Ukraine in particular, on the part of the … Continue reading Letters and Statements, November 1971 (22.10)
Obituary: Mykhaylo Soroka, July 1971 (20.13)
«No 20 : 2 July 1971» On 17 June Mykhaylo Soroka died suddenly of a heart attack in Dubrovlag, Camp 17-a. Mykhaylo Mykhaylovych Soroka was born in the Ternopol Region in 1911. An architect by profession, he studied in Prague. In 1930 he took part in the activities of the OUN [Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists], … Continue reading Obituary: Mykhaylo Soroka, July 1971 (20.13)
Extra-judicial Persecution, July 1971 (20.10)
<<No 20 : 2 July 1971>> [1] The "Service Record” of M. Rostropovich (November 1970-May 1971) At the beginning of November 1970 Rostropovich wrote an Open Letter in defence of Solzhenitsyn (CCE 16.1). Since the end of November 1970 there has not been a single radio or television broadcast with his participation. (Broadcasts by his … Continue reading Extra-judicial Persecution, July 1971 (20.10)
Banned Films, 1966-1970 (19.9)
<<No 19 : 30 April 1971>> The Chronicle here gives a list (clearly incomplete) of films of recent years which have not reached the general public. I. “Arrested” films [1] A. Alov, V. Naumov: A Nasty Tale (Based on the story by F. Dostoyevsky). Mosfilm, 1966. [2] S. Paradzhanov: Kievan Frescoes. Dovzhenko Studio [Kiev], 1966 … Continue reading Banned Films, 1966-1970 (19.9)
The Trial of Tatyana Velikanova, 27-29 August 1980 (58.1)
«No 58 : November 1980» From 27 to 29 August the case of Tatyana Mikhailovna Velikanova (b. 1932; arrested 1 November 1979, CCE 54.1), charged under Article 70 of the RSFSR Criminal Code, was heard by the Moscow City Court, presided over by Deputy Chairman of the Court V. G. Romanov. The prosecution was led … Continue reading The Trial of Tatyana Velikanova, 27-29 August 1980 (58.1)
The Helsinki Groups, December 1976 (43.6)
<<No 43 : 31 December 1976>> [1] [MOSCOW] The Moscow [Helsinki] Group (see CCE 40.13), continuing its work of collecting and studying information about infringements of the humanitarian articles of the Final Act, has compiled 15 documents and made them available to the public and to government leaders.[1] Documents 1-6 were reported in preceding issues … Continue reading The Helsinki Groups, December 1976 (43.6)
The Trial of Pavel Bashkirov, 7-8 October 1976 (43.4)
«No 43 : 31 December 1976» The Chronicle can now correct and expand on certain details in the short report (CCE 42) of the court proceedings of 7-8 October in the Supreme Court of the Yakut ASSR, Judge Lukin presiding. There were about fifteen relatives and acquaintances of Pavel Bashkirov in the courtroom, together with … Continue reading The Trial of Pavel Bashkirov, 7-8 October 1976 (43.4)
The Trial of Vladimir Osipov, 24-26 September 1975 (37.2)
<<No 37 : 30 September 1975>> From 24 to 26 September the Vladimir Region Court dealt with the case of Vladimir Osipov (CCE 34.7, Case 38 [pdf, p. 23]), charged under Article 70, section 2, of the RSFSR Criminal Code. * Vladimir Nikolayevich Osipov was born in 1938. From 1961 to 1968 he spent seven … Continue reading The Trial of Vladimir Osipov, 24-26 September 1975 (37.2)
Mustafa Dzhemilev has not been freed, September 1975 (37.1)
<<No 37 : 30 September 1975>> On 19 June 1975, three days before the end of Mustafa Dzhemilev’s one-year term of imprisonment “for ignoring a summons for military service” (CCE 32.9 and CCE 33.1), a fresh charge was brought against him under Article 190-1 of the RSFSR Criminal Code. Mustafa Dzhemilev declared a hunger strike. … Continue reading Mustafa Dzhemilev has not been freed, September 1975 (37.1)
Traditional Days of Protest in the Soviet Union, December 1976 (43.2)
<< No. 43 : 31 December 1976 >> 30 OCTOBER 1976 POLITICAL PRISONERS' DAY In 1976 Political Prisoners’ Day was observed for the third time. [1a] In camps and prisons the traditional hunger-strikes took place on that day; over sixty people took part. Among them were: ● the women prisoners Irina Stasiv-Kalynets, Oksana Popovich, Irina … Continue reading Traditional Days of Protest in the Soviet Union, December 1976 (43.2)
The case of Vladimir Bukovsky, March 1972 (24.1)
<<No 24 : 5 March 1972>> On 5 January 1972 the Moscow City Court passed sentence on Vladimir Bukovsky (see Chronicle 23.1). [Note 1, see Commentary] For Soviet readers the only official source of information on the trial of Vladimir Bukovsky was an article by A. Yurov and L. Kolesov, “Biography of villainy”, published in … Continue reading The case of Vladimir Bukovsky, March 1972 (24.1)
The Jewish Movement for Emigration to Israel, March 1970 (18.6)
<<No 18 : 5 March 1971>> On 5-6 January 1971 the Leningrad Military Tribunal heard the case of Vulf Zalmanson (b. 1939), a member of the armed forces, who was arrested together with the eleven persons already convicted in the "aeroplane" case [CCE 17.6]. The trial was held in camera. The father and brother of … Continue reading The Jewish Movement for Emigration to Israel, March 1970 (18.6)
Political Prisoners in Psychiatric Hospitals: A Survey of Documents, March 1971 (18.1)
«No 18 : 5 March 1971» The imprisonment of dissenters in psychiatric hospitals continues to be the subject of public concern and protest. 1. In a letter appealing to the psychiatrists of a number of countries, the Action Group for the Defence of Human Rights in the USSR, stresses once more that this form of … Continue reading Political Prisoners in Psychiatric Hospitals: A Survey of Documents, March 1971 (18.1)
The Fate of Fritz Menders, November 1970 (17.10)
<<No 17 : 31 December 1970>> In November 1970 it was proposed to Fritz Mender, one of the founders of the Latvian Social-Democratic Workers' Party (LSDWP), and Klava Lorents, head of the Latvian cooperativists, that they should publicly dissociate themselves from Bruno Kalnins, the leader of the LSDWP, who is in emigration in Stockholm. Both … Continue reading The Fate of Fritz Menders, November 1970 (17.10)
Inmates of the Women’s Political Camp ZhKh 385/3, August 1970 (15.8)
«No 15 : 31 August 1970» Mordovia camp complex, ZhKh 385/3 1. Zaritskaya, Yekaterina Mironovna Born 1914 in the town of Kolomyya [Ivano-Frankovsk Region] in the family of a school teacher. Graduated from Lvov's Lysenko Musical Institute and the Lvov Polytechnic Institute. Arrested in 1934 for taking part in the assassination of the Polish minister … Continue reading Inmates of the Women’s Political Camp ZhKh 385/3, August 1970 (15.8)
The Arrest of Revolt Pimenov, July 1970 (15.3)
«No 15 : 31 August 1970» In July 1970 Doctor of sciences Revolt Ivanovich Pimenov, a research officer at the Mathematical Institute, was arrested In Leningrad. (For the search of Pimenov's flat on 18 April, see CCE 13.10, items 17 & 18.) *** R.I. Pimenov (b. 1931) graduated from the mathematics and mechanics faculty of … Continue reading The Arrest of Revolt Pimenov, July 1970 (15.3)
Political prisoners in Vladimir Prison, December 1969 (11.3)
«No 11 : 31 December 1969» The exact number of political prisoners being held at the present time in Vladimir Prison (address: Vladimir, Institution OD-1, building 2) is not known. There is no separate wing now for politicals, but there are several political cells in each of the four blocks of the prison: for example, … Continue reading Political prisoners in Vladimir Prison, December 1969 (11.3)
The expulsion of Solzhenitsyn from the Writers’ Union, 4 November 1969 (11.1)
«No 11 : 31 December 1969» On 4 November 1969 the great Russian writer A. I. Solzhenitsyn was expelled from the Writers' Union by the Ryazan branch of the Writers' Union of the Russian Republic (RSFSR). Of the seven members of the Ryazan branch, six were present at the meeting: Vasily Matushkin (Ryazan), Sergei Baranov … Continue reading The expulsion of Solzhenitsyn from the Writers’ Union, 4 November 1969 (11.1)
Hunger strikes in the political camps of Mordovia, November-December 1969 (11.4)
«No 11 : 31 December 1969» In November-December 1969 there was a wave of hunger-strikes in the Potma camps for political prisoners: Dubrovlag (Institution 385) [see Map 3]. In the work area of Camp 3 (not to be confused with the hospital area which is also a part of Camp 3) there was a hunger-strike … Continue reading Hunger strikes in the political camps of Mordovia, November-December 1969 (11.4)
Persecution of the Action Group for the Defence of Civil Rights, October 1969 (10.4)
«No 10 : 31 October 1969» The act of a group of Soviet citizens [CCE 8.10] in appealing to an international organization, the United Nations, and protesting against violations in the Soviet Union of basic civil rights and Soviet laws, has become the subject of investigations by the KGB and the Procuracy. The Chronicle has … Continue reading Persecution of the Action Group for the Defence of Civil Rights, October 1969 (10.4)
P.G. Grigorenko on the special psychiatric hospitals, December 1969 (11.2)
«No 11 : 31 December 1969» In her book Midday [Polden] Natalya Gorbanevskaya includes the following account by P.G. Grigorenko. It is published here in abbreviated form. *** The idea of "special psychiatric hospitals" is not in itself without merit, but as for the way this idea is implemented in our country, there is nothing … Continue reading P.G. Grigorenko on the special psychiatric hospitals, December 1969 (11.2)
The Trial of Yakir and Krasin, December 1973 (30.1)
«No 30 : 31 December 1973» On 27 August 1973 in the Lyublino district people's court in Moscow judicial proceedings commenced in the case of Pyotr Yakir and Victor Krasin, indicted for criminal anti-Soviet activities under Article 70, para. 1, of the RSFSR Criminal Code. The judge was Mironov, deputy chairman of the Moscow City … Continue reading The Trial of Yakir and Krasin, December 1973 (30.1)
A Chronicle of Case Number 24 (pt 2), July 1973 (29.8)
<<No 29 : 31 July 1973>> THE BELGORODSKAYA CASE Irina Belogorodskaya was arrested on 3 January 1973 in Moscow. According to her husband Vadim Delaunay, investigator Zhuchkov, who was handling the Belogorodskaya case, stated that her arrest was linked to the appearance of No 27 of A Chronicle of Current Events, even though the investigators … Continue reading A Chronicle of Case Number 24 (pt 2), July 1973 (29.8)
A Chronicle of Case No 24 [pt 1], December 1972 (28.2)
<<No 28 : 31 December 1972>> The USSR Committee for State Security (KGB) continues to occupy itself with what is called "Case No 24". This first attracted attention in mid-January 1972 when a series of searches and arrests were made (see CCE 24.2 {p. 6, pdf}) in Moscow, Kiev, Vilnius, and other cities . Today … Continue reading A Chronicle of Case No 24 [pt 1], December 1972 (28.2)
The Death of Yury Galanskov, November 1972 (28.2)
«No 28 : 31 December 1972» On 2 November 1972 YURY GALANSKOV died at the age of 33 in the Mordovian camp complex (in institution ZhKh 385-3). *** Yury Timofeyevich Galanskov was born in 1939 in Moscow, into a family of workers. From 1959 onwards he took part in readings by young poets in Mayakovsky … Continue reading The Death of Yury Galanskov, November 1972 (28.2)
The deportation of Solzhenitsyn, 13 February 1974 (32.1)
<<No 32 : 17 July 1974>> On 13 February, after a prolonged and large-scale persecution campaign in the press, Alexander Isayevich Solzhenitsyn was deported from the Soviet Union. The immediate cause was the publication of his GULag Archipelago by the YMCA Press (CCE 30.16).[a] The circumstances surrounding the publication of this book, as well as … Continue reading The deportation of Solzhenitsyn, 13 February 1974 (32.1)
Red Square at Noon – Gorbanevskaya letter, 28 August 1968 (3.3)
«No 3 : 30 August 1968» The most outspoken protest against the aggression in Czechoslovakia was the sit-down demonstration which took place in Red Square at 12 noon on 25 August 1968. A letter from one of the participants in the demonstration, Natalya Gorbanevskaya, gives detailed information about this event: "To the chief editors of … Continue reading Red Square at Noon – Gorbanevskaya letter, 28 August 1968 (3.3)
The trial of Ilya Burmistrovich, 21 May 1969 (8.2)
<<No 8, 30 June 1969>> On 21 May 1969, the Moscow City Court examined the case of ILYA BURMISTROVICH, accused under Article 190-1 of the Russian Criminal Code. Burmistrovich was charged with circulating works by Yuly Daniel — Moscow Speaking, Hands, Atonement and The Man from MINAP — and the following works of Andrei Sinyavsky: … Continue reading The trial of Ilya Burmistrovich, 21 May 1969 (8.2)
Survey of samizdat, December 1968 (5.1)
«No 5 : 31 December 1968» Samizdat is a specific medium for exercising freedom of expression in our country. During the last few years samizdat has evolved from a predominant concern with poetry and fiction towards an ever greater emphasis on journalistic and documentary writing. This is particularly true of 1968. In this year samizdat … Continue reading Survey of samizdat, December 1968 (5.1)
Moral resistance, then & now (Tuesday 14 May, London)
Veteran human rights campaigner Lena SANNIKOVA will speak at Pushkin House, London, on Tuesday, 14 May at 7 pm about political prisoners in Putin's Russia and the Soviet Union and the many other opponents and victims of both regimes ♦ Over the past ten years, the level of repression has been rising in Russia. Today … Continue reading Moral resistance, then & now (Tuesday 14 May, London)
KGB warnings (November 1972)
Politburo decision (Bukovsky Archives online), in response to a jointly signed request from the KGB and Procurator-General RUDENKO (11 October 1972, 2594-А, pp. 4-5). The Party leaders approve a secret decree (p. 2) about special KGB “cautions” or warnings to those engaged in “politically harmful” behaviour. [Russian 16 November 1972, Pb 67-XVIII] total 5 pp. … Continue reading KGB warnings (November 1972)
Political Prisoners, 1 February 1987 (KGB report)
KGB report to Gorbachev (Bukovsky Archives online). The numbers then serving a sentence under Articles 70, 190-1 and 142 of the RSFSR Criminal Code. One third held in psychiatric institutions; encouraging applications for a pardon from such prisoners; terms of release terms eased [Russian 1 Feb 87, 183-Ch] (9 pp) Excerpts. ================================== [page one of … Continue reading Political Prisoners, 1 February 1987 (KGB report)
No 31 : 17 May 1974
ACTION IN DEFENCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE SOVIET UNION CONTINUES *** Some of the reports in this issue have been digitised. The others may be located by page numbers in the pdf version (CCE Nos 28-31) after the items in this Contents page *** Introduction PART ONE: Events of 1973-1974 [pdf, 65-71] (1) The … Continue reading No 31 : 17 May 1974
No. 32 : 17 July 1974
ACTION IN DEFENCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE SOVIET UNION CONTINUES Only some of the reports in this issue have been digitised. Page numbers for the pdf version (CCE 32 & 33, see below) are given next to the items in this Contents page *** (1) The Deportation of Solzhenitsyn [13 February 1974] (2) The Trial … Continue reading No. 32 : 17 July 1974
No 33 : 10 December 1974
ACTION IN DEFENCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE SOVIET UNION CONTINUES Few of the reports in this issue have yet been digitised. Page numbers for the pdf version (CCE 32 & 33, see below) are given to the right of the items in this Contents page *** (1) Political Prisoner's Day in the USSR [62] … Continue reading No 33 : 10 December 1974
No 34 : 31 December 1974
ACTION IN DEFENCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE SOVIET UNION CONTINUES None of the reports in this issue have been digitised. Page numbers for the pdf version (CCE 34-36, see below) are given next to the items in this Contents page (1) The Arrest of Sergei Kovalyov [6] (2) The Trial of Mikhail Kheifets (Leningrad) … Continue reading No 34 : 31 December 1974
