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Project Description

 ENGLISH          УКРАЇНСЬКА

Welcome to the “Trapped in Archives of Repression: Personal Letters in ex-KGB Archives” webpage. This webpage provides access to the top secret documents related to postal control over private correspondence in the USSR: instructions for postal censors, monthly reports, special reports, and special summaries of military censorship units and political control (perlustration) units, mostly covering the period between 1938 and 1947. Most of them have never been published or even used by scholars before. All archival materials published on this page are currently housed at the Sectoral State Archive of Security Service of Ukraine (Галузевий державний архів Служби безпеки України, HDA SBU).

This webpage is part of a project that originated in 2020 as a collaboration between the Kule Folklore Centre (KuFC), the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (CIUS), and the Sectoral State Archive of Security Service of Ukraine (HDA SBU). Over the years, this project was supported by the Kule Institute for Advanced Study (KIAS), the Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies at the University of Alberta (MLCS), and the Alberta Society for Advancement in Ukrainian Studies (ASAUS).

The collapse of the communist regime in Central and Eastern Europe, and the opening of its secret service archives, led to a profound and paradigmatic shift in historical research focusing on the region. Informed also by recent fundamental changes in human communication within the digital domain, this profound shift in the production of historical knowledge triggered unparalleled interest in personal records once confiscated by secret services of socialist states. Especially growing is the interest in the repressed personal letters research. On one end, the 21st-century researchers are eager to engage with the repressed documents of the socialist past. “Trapped in Archives of Repression: Personal Letters in ex-KGB Archives” is the first phase in the long-term team initiative that aims to generate new analytical tools and framework for the analysis of state-confiscated personal correspondence still in possession of various former state-security archives in the countries of the former USSR. The core practical goal of the project is to facilitate access to archival holdings related to postal control over private correspondence through the digitalization of documents and the creation of online access points. It is also essential to provide English translations for scholars working outside of the area of Slavic or post-Soviet studies, as well as the general public.

Types of ex-KGB archival documents related to personal correspondence
Between 1938 and 1947, two different postal control systems were practiced by the Soviet security services: military censorship and the so-called “PK”. Military censorship existed between 1940 and 1946: it was introduced after the Finnish-Soviet war broke out in 1939 and cancelled in 1946 after the end of WW2. After 1946 it continued to monitor the correspondence of military personnel. Military censorship was catchall (applied to all correspondence), it was also open (overt) and after monitoring every letter was marked with a special stamp. “PK” (standing for “political control” and often also referred to as “perlustration”) was secret (covert) and selective. Every month each postal control site, be it military censorship or “PK”, confiscated thousands of letters. The confiscated letters were kept only for a few months, after that, they were destroyed. A scholar interested in postal control of private correspondence and working at the ex-KGB archives typically has access to censorship instructions, “monthly reports”, “special reports”, and “special summaries”. Monthly reports were compiled by the head office of security services (in our case, the NKGB and later the MGB of the Ukrainian SSR) reporting to the head office in Moscow. The monthly reports typically contained numerous excerpts from letters subject to confiscation in Russian translation. Special reports were usually dedicated to one or a chain of confiscated letters, they contained excerpts from confiscated letters in Russian translation, or, in some cases, full letters in translation or original. Special summaries reported on particular themes, e.g. “On the facts of response to fascist aggression” (1938) or “On persons who cohabited [had intercourse] with the German occupiers” (1944). This webpage provides access to a selection of documents from each group housed at HDA SBU.
What is published on this page?

One of the practical goals of “Trapped in Archives of Repression: Personal Letters in ex-KGB Archives” was to assist in providing online access to the documents housed in Sectoral State Archive of Security Service of Ukraine (Галузевий державний архів Служби безпеки України, HDA SBU) and related to the postal censorship of private correspondence in the USSR. On this webpage, we publish documents collected during a 4-year work on the project.

For all documents, the originals (pdf files) are provided. We also provide transcripts and English translations for the majority of these documents. The translations were created at different project stages and with different purposes; they range from fully prepared for publication to interlinear translations. All the translations are true to the originals and could be used to access the content of the documents published on this webpage.

List of abbreviations
Using abbreviations and acronyms was an essential feature of the Soviet bureaucratic language.

In the NKVD/MGB/KGB documents, the number of abbreviations was several times higher, since abbreviations and acronyms, commonly used in Soviet life, were added here to those used for conspiracy. In the English translations of these documents, we are preserving all the abbreviations to convey the nature (spirit) of these documents. The table below is intended to help navigate both the originals and translations.

We directly transliterate original abbreviations except for some countries (USA, USSR) or internationally known institutions (AUCCTU, CC A-UCP(B), CC CPSU) with well-established abbreviations in English. In the “explanations” column, we follow general capitalization rules for English and Russian. We don’t provide additional explanations except for cases where it is necessary for proper understanding (White[army] emigrants, U[kr]SSR).
ABBREVIATIONS
Abbreviation in English Explanation Abbreviation in Russian Explanation
“A” to send to address «А» отправить по адресу
A-Department Department of the MGB of the USSR responsible for the reports and archives Отдел «А» Отчетно-архивный отдел МГБ СССР
а.-s. anti-Soviet а.-с. антисоветский
ASSR Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic АССР Автономная Советская Социалистическая Республика
AUCCTU All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions ВЦСПС Всесоюзный центральный совет профессиональных союзов
“BĖ” White[army] emigrants «БЭ» белоэмигранты
“BL” germicidal lamp «БЛ» бактерицидная лампа
CC A-UCP(B) Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (of Bolsheviks) ЦК ВКП(б) Центральный комитет Всесоюзной коммунистической партии (большевиков)
CC CPSU Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union ЦК КПСС Центральный комитет Коммунистической партии Советского Союза
“D” misinformation «Д» дезинформация
KNDR Democratic People’s Republic of Korea КНДР Корейская Народно-Демократическая Республика
DRV Democratic Republic of Vietnam ДРВ Демократическая Республика Вьетнам
“F” to photocopy «Ф» снять фотокопию
FHL Physical-Chemical Lab ФХЛ Физико-химическая лаборатория
FINO Financial Department ФИНО Финансовый отдел
GDR German Democratic Republic ГДР Германская Демократическая Республика
Glavlit General Directorate for the Protection of State Secrets in the Press Главлит Главное управление по делам литературы и издательств
GOST State Standard ГОСТ Государственный стандарт
gorkom city committee горком городской комитет
“GP” state criminals «ГП» государственные преступники
GRU Military Intelligence of the USSR ГРУ Главное разведывательное управление СССР
GUKR Head Directorate of Counterintelligence ГУКР Главное управление контрразведки
“I” iodination «И» иодирование
ispolkom executive committee исполком исполнительный комитет
“K” To confiscate «К» конфисковать
“K” codes «К» коды
KGB The Committee for State Security КГБ Комитет государственной безопасности
“KL” quartz lamp «КЛ» кварцевая лампа
к.-r. counter-revolutionary к.-р. контрреволюционный
kraikom Regional committee крайком краевой комитет
LKSM Leninist Communist Youth Union ЛКСМ Ленинский коммунистический союз молодежи
“MG” microphotograph «МГ» микрофотограмма
MGB Ministry of State Security МГБ Министерство государственной безопасности
MID Ministry of Foreign Affairs МИД Министерство иностранных дел
MNR Mongolia People’s Republic МНР Монгольская Народная Республика
Mospochtampt Moscow Head Post Office Моспочтамт Московский почтамт
“MT” mark «МТ» метка
MVD Ministry of Internal Affairs МВД Министерство внутренних дел
narkom people's commissar нарком народный комиссар
Narkomvneshtorg People's Commissariat for Foreign Trade Наркомвнешторг Народный комиссариат внешней торговли
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization НАТО Организация Североатлантического договора
“NB” defectors «НВ» невозвращенцы
NKGB People’s Commissariat for State Security НКГБ Народный комиссариат государственной безопасности
NKO People’s Commissariat of Defense of the USSR НКО Народный комиссариат обороны СССР
NKSviazi (NKS) People's Commissariat of Communications НКСвязи (НКС) Народный комиссариат связи
NTS National Alliance of Russian Solidarists НТС Народно-трудовой союз российских солидаристов
“NTs” nationalists «НЦ» «НЦ» националисты
NKVD People’s Commissariat of Internal Affairs НКВД Народный комиссариат внутренних дел
NKVMF People’s Commissariat of the Soviet Navy НКВМФ Народный комиссариат Военно-Морского Флота СССР
“O” general record «О» общий учет
obkom regional committee обком областной комитет
“OK” Operational record ОК оперативные карты
OKGB Division of the Committee for State
Security		 ОКГБ Отдел Комитета государственной
безопасности
okruzhkom District Committee окружком Окружной комитет
OPP Mail transportation department ОПП Отделение перевозки почт
OTO Operative-Technical Department ОТО Оперативно-технический отдел
OTS Operative-Technical Service ОТС Оперативно-техническая служба
OTU Operative-Technical Directorate ОТУ Оперативно-техническое управление
OVTs Military Censorship Department ОВЦ Отдел военной цензуры
“P” personal record «П» персональный учет
PGU First Chief Directorate ПГУ Первое главное управление КГБ СССР
“PK”/PK Political Control “ПK”/ПК Политический контроль
KNR People’s Republic of China КНР Китайская Народная Республика
“PV” steam opener «ПВ» паровскрыватель
PVO Air Defense ПВО Противовоздушная оборона
R-Department Radio intelligence department of the USSR MGB Отдел «Р» Отдел радиоразведки МГБ СССР
raikom district committee райком районный комитет
“RĖ” re-emigrants «РЭ» реэмигранты
“RP” repatriates «РП» репатрианты
“RU” x-ray machine «РУ» рентгеноустановка
SEATO South-East Asia Treaty Organization СЕАТО Организация Договора Юго-Восточной Азии
“Sh” ciphers «Ш» шифры
“ShP” spy correspondence «ШП» шпионская переписка
“SK” sectarians «СК» сектанты
SM Council of Ministers СМ Совет Министров
Smersh Counter-intelligence agency of the USSR Смерш «Смерть шпионам!», контрразведывательная организация СССР
SNK Council of People’s Commissars СНК Совет народных комиссаров
Sovinformburo Soviet Information Bureau Совинформбюро Советское информационное бюро
SSR Soviet Socialist Republic ССР Советская Социалистическая
Республика
“ST” hidden texts «СТ» скрытые тексты
“T” secret writing «T» тайнопись
“T” telegram «T» телеграмма
TASS Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union ТАСС Телеграфное агентство
Советского Союза
“TKB” secret writing copy paper «ТКБ» тайнописно-копировальная бумага
“TS” secret writing «ТС» тайнопись
TsK Central Committee ЦК Центральный комитет
TsKI Centralized Card Index of Foreign
Correspondents		 ЦКИ Централизованная картотека
инокорреспондентов
UFPS Field Courier and Postal Service Center УФПС Узел фельдъегерско-почтовой связи
UK Criminal Code УК Уголовный кодекс
U[kr]SSR Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic УССР Украинская Советская
Социалистическая Республика
UMGB Ministry of State Security Directorate УМГБ Управление Министерства государственной безопасности
UNKGB People’s Commissariat for State Security Directorate УНКГБ Управление Народного комиссариата государственной
безопасности
UNKVD People’s Commissariat of Internal Affairs Directorate УНКВД Управление Народного
комиссариата внутренних дел
“UP” Correspondence with
pre-arranged conditions		 «УП» условная переписка
USA United States of America США Соединенные Штаты Америки
USSR Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics СССР Союз Советских Социалистических Республик
UVD Department of Internal Affairs УВД Управление внутренних дел
V-Department (Division) A Department (Division) of the MGB of the USSR responsible for the correspondence perlustration Отдел (отделение)«В» Отдел (отделение) перлюстрации
корреспонденции МГБ СССР
“VA” fictitious addresses «ВА» вымышленные адреса
“VF” fictitious names «ВФ» вымышленные фамилии
VKP(b) All-Union Communist Party (Bolshevik) ВКП(б) Всесоюзная коммунистическая
партия (большевиков)
VLKSM All-Union Leninist Young Communists League ВЛКСМ Всесоюзный ленинский коммунистический союз молодежи
VPB Military Postal Base ВПБ Военно-почтовая база
VPSP Military Postal Sorting Facility ВПСП Военно-почтовый
сортировочный пункт
“VSP” reproduction of wax seals «ВСП» воспроизводство
сургучных печатей
VTs Military Censorship ВЦ Военная цензура
Contact Us

All files are available upon request. 

Please contact Jelena Pogosjan (pogosjan@ualberta.ca) or Natalia Khanenko-Friesen (nkhanenk@ualberta.ca).