Blinken OSA Archivum
HU OSA 300-85-33 Russian-Language Letters by Name
BookIconSeries Description
Context
Hierarchy
Statistics
Folders / Items in this series
Identity Statement
Title
Russian-Language Letters by Name
Identity Statement
Date(s)
1990 - 1990 (predominant 1990)
Identity Statement
Description Level
Series
Identity Statement
Extent and medium (processed)
24 Archival boxes, 3.0 linear meters
Context
Name of creator(s)
Samizdat Archives of Radio Free Europe
Context
Name of creator(s)
Samizdat Archives
Context
Administrative / Biographical history
With the beginning of the Perestroika period, in the wake of glasnost and the cessation of foreign radio jamming, RFE/RL was bombarded with letters from the Soviet Union. In February 1989, the Samizdat Archives was assigned to the task of processing this correspondence. This resulted in the collection that is part of the Samizdat Archives holdings (Series 31-35). The letters were organized into several series, structured either chronologically (according to the respective registration number), or alphabetically by name, or geographically.
Content and structure
Scope and content (abstract)
This series includes Russian-language letters to RFE/RL sorted by the name of the author. The letters to the RFE/RL usually contain responses and comments to the radio broadcasting, praise, or critic of certain programs, specific appeals, and requests of the authors or the information that they wanted to publicize. Some letters also contain additional materials or copies of the documents to support the information in the letters.
Content and structure
Scope and content (narrative)
The series contains mostly the Russian-language letters received by Samizdat Unit from 1990-1992. Although sometimes the same letter can include letters written in different languages, for example, one piece in English and another piece of the same letter in Russian, the vast majority of letters are in Russian. The other languages sometimes used include English, Lithuanian, German, Kyrgyz, Ukrainian, Uzbek, and French. Every letter contains the destiny of a person with his/her hopes, requests, and attitudes. Geographically the vast majority of letters come from the republics of the Soviet Union. But there are letters that come from Germany, Israel, France, and Switzerland and there was one letter from Iran. The content of the letters are different, but three main themes can be identified. First, there is a part of letters that contain personal stories and descriptions of bad fate or difficulty of life. Personal stories include family stories, stories about grandparents, parents, and children. There are sometimes photos of the authors with resumes or photos of family members. These letters also can contain appeals to help. Another big part of the letters include personal requests and complaints about bureaucracy in the country. In a lot of cases, complaints are about authority and colleagues on the workplace or authorities of the city, region or procurator. As a rule, these kinds of letters are in series, this means there can be 3, 4, 5, 6, or more letters from the same author and including correspondence with other organizations (parliament, government, American embassy). The third part mostly consists of the letters that contain information about and also authors' attitudes about events in the USSR at that crucial period of time. These attitudes can be expressed in a number of ways: in the form of address towards Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, in the form of address towards people in the country. Sometimes the letters contain poems, novels, narratives, articles of scientific and/or analytical character.
Content and structure
Accruals
Not Expected
Content and structure
System of arrangement
The series is organized alphabetically based on the original order according to the author's surname. Anonymous letters are placed at the end of the series. Related units: 300-85-31; 300-85-32; 300-85-34; 300-85-3.
Conditions of access and use
Conditions governing access
Restricted
Conditions of access and use
Conditions governing reproduction
Third party rights are to be cleared.
Description Control
Archivist's note
Revised by Anna Mazanik and Irina Egorova, 2017; revised by Anastasia Felcher, 2020.
HU OSA 300-85-33 Russian-Language Letters by Name
BookIconSeries Description
Context
Hierarchy
Statistics
Folders / Items
Identity Statement
Title
Russian-Language Letters by Name
Identity Statement
Date(s)
1990 - 1990 (predominant 1990)
Identity Statement
Description Level
Series
Identity Statement
Extent and medium (processed)
24 Archival boxes, 3.0 linear meters
Context
Name of creator(s)
Samizdat Archives of Radio Free Europe
Context
Name of creator(s)
Samizdat Archives
Context
Administrative / Biographical history
With the beginning of the Perestroika period, in the wake of glasnost and the cessation of foreign radio jamming, RFE/RL was bombarded with letters from the Soviet Union. In February 1989, the Samizdat Archives was assigned to the task of processing this correspondence. This resulted in the collection that is part of the Samizdat Archives holdings (Series 31-35). The letters were organized into several series, structured either chronologically (according to the respective registration number), or alphabetically by name, or geographically.
Content and structure
Scope and content (abstract)
This series includes Russian-language letters to RFE/RL sorted by the name of the author. The letters to the RFE/RL usually contain responses and comments to the radio broadcasting, praise, or critic of certain programs, specific appeals, and requests of the authors or the information that they wanted to publicize. Some letters also contain additional materials or copies of the documents to support the information in the letters.
Content and structure
Scope and content (narrative)
The series contains mostly the Russian-language letters received by Samizdat Unit from 1990-1992. Although sometimes the same letter can include letters written in different languages, for example, one piece in English and another piece of the same letter in Russian, the vast majority of letters are in Russian. The other languages sometimes used include English, Lithuanian, German, Kyrgyz, Ukrainian, Uzbek, and French. Every letter contains the destiny of a person with his/her hopes, requests, and attitudes. Geographically the vast majority of letters come from the republics of the Soviet Union. But there are letters that come from Germany, Israel, France, and Switzerland and there was one letter from Iran. The content of the letters are different, but three main themes can be identified. First, there is a part of letters that contain personal stories and descriptions of bad fate or difficulty of life. Personal stories include family stories, stories about grandparents, parents, and children. There are sometimes photos of the authors with resumes or photos of family members. These letters also can contain appeals to help. Another big part of the letters include personal requests and complaints about bureaucracy in the country. In a lot of cases, complaints are about authority and colleagues on the workplace or authorities of the city, region or procurator. As a rule, these kinds of letters are in series, this means there can be 3, 4, 5, 6, or more letters from the same author and including correspondence with other organizations (parliament, government, American embassy). The third part mostly consists of the letters that contain information about and also authors' attitudes about events in the USSR at that crucial period of time. These attitudes can be expressed in a number of ways: in the form of address towards Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, in the form of address towards people in the country. Sometimes the letters contain poems, novels, narratives, articles of scientific and/or analytical character.
Content and structure
Accruals
Not Expected
Content and structure
System of arrangement
The series is organized alphabetically based on the original order according to the author's surname. Anonymous letters are placed at the end of the series. Related units: 300-85-31; 300-85-32; 300-85-34; 300-85-3.
Conditions of access and use
Conditions governing access
Restricted
Conditions of access and use
Conditions governing reproduction
Third party rights are to be cleared.
Description Control
Archivist's note
Revised by Anna Mazanik and Irina Egorova, 2017; revised by Anastasia Felcher, 2020.