Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Narodno-trudovoĭ soi͡uz
- Abstract:
- The collection contains novels, poems, and articles submitted for publication, as well as periodicals, pamphlets, speeches and writings, press releases, statements, petitions, photographs, slides, films, and sound recordings, published or circulated by underground and uncensored presses or groups in the Soviet Union, relating to political and cultural conditions in the Soviet Union and collected by the Narodno-trudovoĭ soiuz. Sound use copies of sound recordings available.
- Extent:
- 74 manuscript boxes, 2 oversize boxes, 1 cardfile box (33.8 Linear Feet)
- Language:
- Russian
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Narodno-trudovoĭ soiuz samizdat collection, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The collection contains novels, poems, and articles submitted for publication, as well as periodicals, pamphlets, speeches and writings, press releases, statements, petitions, photographs, slides, film, and sound recordings, related to political, social, and economic conditions in the Soviet Union and collected by the Narodno-trudovoĭ soiuz.
Samizdat documents that were created in the former Soviet Union reflect the interests and activities of dissidents. The materials were smuggled abroad for publication in the West and collected by the NTS publishing house Posev.
The materials were cataloged by NTS. As of 31 March 2000 more then 3442 documents were arranged by serial number roughly in chronological order by the date of arrival, although not all documents here are numbered.
The materials are arranged by the numbering system assigned by NTS. Each number consists of two components: a number assigned sequentially and a year of creation in two-digit abbreviation (ie. 1968 would be 68). For example, number 139/66 is the 139 document acquired, which dates from 1966. Not all sequential numbers are included in the collection and the material is not in exact chronological order.
The date of arrival at NTS is later than the date of document creation since it took some time to deliver the materials to the West. The title, type of document, physical form, and information on publication may be found in the NTS item catalog. Items without numbers are listed by title at the end of the numerical sequence.
The materials were arranged in two categories by NTS: Samizdat and Oversize samizdat. The Hoover Institution separated other formats for preservation. Now the materials are arranged by size and physical form and are divided into four categories: (1) Samizdat files, (2) Oversize samizdat files, (3) Film, slides, and negatives (4) Sound recordings.
An itemized list in Russian matching the item number with a title and other information created by NTS and updated by Hoover Institution staff may be found via PDF here.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Narodno-trudovoĭ soiuz (National Alliance of Russian Solidarists, known by its Russian abbreviation "NTS") was founded in 1930 by a group of young Russian "White émigrés" in Serbia. As a Russian patriotic, anticommunist organization, the NTS fought communism by studying Soviet culture to understand the soul of people living in the USSR. It is the largest and most active political association of Russian émigrés in Western Germany.
Beginning in 1945, the NTS published the monthly magazine Posev and the literary review Grani, often featuring anti-Soviet samizdat literature smuggled from the USSR.
Samizdat is dissident literature written by Soviet citizens that would not be accepted by Soviet authorities for publication in the USSR. The name Samizdat combines the word sam (self, by oneself), and izdat, the abbreviation of izdatel'stvo (Publishing house). Such literature was available only as handwritten or typewritten copies, distributed secretly among trusted people.
- Acquisition information:
- Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library Archives in 2000.
- Arrangement:
-
Records are arranged as originally received from the organization; generally by the Narodno-trudovoi soiuz number. Each number consists of two components: a number assigned sequentially and a year in two-digit abbreviation (ie. 1968 would be 68). For example, number 139/66 is the 139th document, which dates from 1966. Not all sequential numbers are included in the collection and the material is not in exact chronological order.
- Physical location:
- Hoover Institution Library & Archives
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.
- Terms of access:
-
For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Narodno-trudovoĭ soiuz samizdat collection, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
- Location of this collection:
-
Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford UniversityStanford, CA 94305-6003, US
- Contact:
- (650) 723-3563