Register of the I. Babel' letters
Finding aid prepared by Hoover Institution Library and Archives Staff
Hoover Institution Library and Archives
© 2017
434 Galvez Mall
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6003
hoover-library-archives@stanford.edu
Title: I. Babel' letters
Date (inclusive): 1925-1939
Collection Number: 2006C32
Contributing Institution: Hoover Institution Library and Archives
Language of Material:
Russian
Physical Description:
2 manuscript boxes
(0.8 Linear Feet)
Abstract: Letters to family members relating to Russian literature and personal affairs. Includes typed transcripts. Photocopy.
Creator:
Babelʹ, I. (Isaak), 1894-1940
Physical Location: Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Access
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.
Use
For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Acquisition Information
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library & Archives in 2006.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], I. Babel' letters, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Biographical Note
Isaak Babel', Russian/Soviet writer, was born in 1894, in Odessa. In 1915 he moved to Petrograd, where he met Maksim Gorky,
who became his friend and mentor. He published Babel's two short stories in the
Letopis' magazine. Gorky advised the aspiring writer to gain more life experience. According to one of Babel's stories,
Doroga (The Road), he served on the Romanian front until early December 1917. He resurfaced in Petrograd in March 1918 as a reporter
for Gorky's newspaper,
Novaya zhizn (New Life). During the Russian Civil War, Babel' worked for the publishing house of the Odessa Gubkom (regional CPSU Committee),
in the food procurement unit in the Narkompros (People's Commissariat of Education), and in a typographic printing office.
After the end of the Civil War, Babel' worked as a reporter for
Zaria Vostoka (The Dawn of the Orient).
Babel' married Yevgenia Gronfein on August 9, 1919, in Odessa.
In 1920, Babel' was assigned to the First Cavalry Army and witnessed a military campaign in the Polish-Soviet War of 1920.
He documented the horrors of that in the
Konarmeiskiy Dnevnik, 1920 God (1920 Diary), which he later used to write
Konarmiya (Red Cavalry), a collection of short stories.
In 1924, his mother and sister with her family immigrated to Belgium; in 1925 his wife immigrated to Paris. Babel' visited
them several times during his trips to France; in 1929, his daughter Natalie was born. Babel' wrote letters to his family
from 1925 through 1939, when he was arrested and put in prison.
Babel' was arrested in May 1939; his writings were confiscated and disappeared. He was tortured during interrogations. In
January 1940 he was executed, and his name disappeared from literary life: it was removed from literary dictionaries and encyclopedias
and taken off school and university syllabi. He was rehabilitated in 1954.
Scope and Content of Collection
Letters relating to Russian literature and personal affairs from Babel' to his family members: mother, Fania Babel'; sister,
Mera Chapochnikoff, and her husband Grigorii; and Babel's wife and daughter. Includes typed transcripts. Photocopy.
It should be noted that some original letters do not have corresponding transcripts, while some transcripts were made from
letters unavailable in this collection.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Russian literature
box 1, folder 1
November 5
16
20
Scope and Contents note
Includes two letters of November 5, 1925.
box 1, folder 2
Undated
Scope and Contents note
Three letters to Babel's mother and one letter to his sister; one letter without beginning; and one letter from Babel's mother.
box 1, folder 2
January 1
6
26
Scope and Contents note
Unfinished letter.
box 1, folder 2
February 8
Scope and Contents note
Page 2 only.
box 1, folder 2
April 5
16
Scope and Contents note
Includes a letter to sister of April 5, 1926 (two copies), and a letter to mother of April 16, 1926, containing an undated
letter from Babel's mother (two copies).
box 1, folder 2
September 7
10
16
17
23
29
Scope and Contents note
Includes two letters of September 17, 1926.
box 1, folder 2
November 2
5
10
15
29
Scope and Contents note
Includes two letters of November 2, 1926 (to mother and sister), and a letter of November 10, 1926, and one loose page (beginning
is missing).
box 1, folder 3
Undated
Scope and Contents note
Letter from Fania Aronovna (Babel's mother) to Mera (Babel's sister).
box 1, folder 4
October 1
3
17
20
22
26
28
29
30
box 1, folder 4
November 5
6
11
13
16
19
23
25
box 1, folder 4
December 1
4
6
9
13
15
20
23
25
box 1, folder 5
January 1
2
7
10
14
17
19
22
29
box 1, folder 5
February 6
9
13
20
23
28
Scope and Contents note
The postcard of February 23, 1929, was copied next to the postcard of July 20, 1929. See Box 1, Folder 6.
box 1, folder 5
April 2
4
8
10
12
15
17
19
21
24
27
box 1, folder 5
May 1
5
7
9
11
15
17
21
24
27
30
box 1, folder 5
June 1
3
5
13
14
19
25
28
29
box 1, folder 6
July 4
6
9
11
15
20
26
28
box 1, folder 6
August 1
7
8
10
11
14
17
20
27
31
box 1, folder 6
September 2
4
6
12
14
19
25
26
box 1, folder 6
October 2
4
7
10
17
26
29
box 1, folder 6
December 2
6
14
21
24
27
30
box 1, folder 7
February 4
5
9
16
17
20
24
box 1, folder 7
August 3
6
12
17
19
24
29
box 1, folder 7
September 2
15
21
24
25
29
Scope and Contents note
The postcard of September 25, 1930, was copied next to the postcard of December 15, 1930.
box 1, folder 7
November 4
5
7
8
9
12
17
23
27
box 1, folder 7
December 10
14
15
20
25
28
31
box 1, folder 8
January 2
14
21
27
Scope and Contents note
Additional copy of the January 2 postcard can be found next to the postcard of February 25, 1931. The postcard of January
27, 1931, was copied next to the postcard of April 19, 1931.
box 1, folder 8
March 2
5
11
15
17
18
24
28
box 1, folder 8
April 5
11
12
16
19
24
25
Scope and Contents note
The postcard of April 24, 1931, was copied next to the postcard of July 15, 1931. See Box 1, Folder 9.
box 1, folder 8
June 1
5
11
17
20
26
29
Scope and Contents note
Includes two postcards of June 20, 1931, and a letter and a postcard of June 26, 1931. The postcard of June 29, 1931, was
copied next to the postcard of July 9, 1931. See Box 1, Folder 9.
box 1, folder 9
July 2
7
9
12
15
17
18
20
22
26
30
31
Scope and Contents note
The postcard of July 2, 1931, was copied next to the postcard of October 21, 1931; the postcard of July 22, 1931, was copied
next to the postcard of October 6, 1931. Includes two postcards of July 31, 1931.
box 1, folder 9
September 1
6
7
15
18
25
26
28
30
box 1, folder 9
October 1
4
6
11
14
16
20
21
22
31
box 1, folder 9
November 8
14
18
19
27
30
box 1, folder 9
December 4
7
12
16
17
21
25
box 1, folder 10
April 5
9
11
12
17
23
29
Scope and Contents note
The postcard of April 29, 1932, was copied next to the postcard of May 27, 1932.
box 1, folder 10
October 2
4
6
12
17
20
22
27
28
29
30
box 1, folder 10
November 2
4
6
8
15
16
24
box 1, folder 11
January 1
Scope and Contents note
The postcard was copied next to the postcard of April 24, 1933.
box 1, folder 11
May 2
5
11
18
20
24
28
Scope and Contents note
The postcard of May 2, 1933, was copied next to the postcard of December 9, 1933.
box 1, folder 11
December 4
9
12
13
19
21
23
29
box 2, folder 2
September 4
11
12
19
21
23
30
box 2, folder 3
April 15
20
21
22
26
Scope and Contents note
The postcard of April 2, 1936, was copied next to the postcard of November 21, 1936; the postcard of April 15, 1936, was copied
next to the postcard of June 7, 1936.
box 2, folder 3
June 2
7
12
15
17
19
24
28
Scope and Contents note
The postcard of June 2, 1936, was copied next to the postcard of August 28, 1936.
box 2, folder 3
September 1
4
5
10
17
22
24
Scope and Contents note
The postcard of September 5, 1936, was copied next to the postcard of October 23, 1936.
box 2, folder 3
October 4
14
19
23
25
29
30
box 2, folder 3
November 2
3
5
7
11
12
15
18
21
24
30
box 2, folder 4
January 2
6
8
11
27
Scope and Contents note
The postcard of January 2, 1937, was copied next to the postcard of December 1, 1937; the postcard of January 11, 1937, was
copied next to the postcard of December 27, 1937.
box 2, folder 4
May 1
7
10
17
Scope and Contents note
The postcard of May 1, 1937, was copied next to the postcard of December 12, 1937.
box 2, folder 4
September 6
16
19
Scope and Contents note
The postcard of September 6, 1937, was copied next to the postcard of October 11, 1937.
box 2, folder 4
October 4
6
11
14
20
Scope and Contents note
The postcard of October 14, 1937, was copied next to the postcard of November 7, 1937.
box 2, folder 4
November 3
5
7
12
16
20
26
27
box 2, folder 4
December 1
7
10
14
19
22
24
27
box 2, folder 5
February 4
9
11
15
18
19
20
27
box 2, folder 5
May 10
13
15
24
Scope and Contents note
The postcard of May 13, 1938, was copied next to the postcard of June 21, 1938.
box 2, folder 5
August 3
4
12
16
18
19
22
25
box 2, folder 5
September 11
20
24
26
Scope and Contents note
Includes two postcards of September 11, 1938.
box 2, folder 5
October 3
9
19
25
30
Scope and Contents note
Includes two postcards of October 9, 1938.
Transcripts of Correspondence
1926-1939
box 2, folder 6
Undated
Scope and Contents note
Two undated letters from Babel's mother and one undated letter from Babel'.
box 2, folder 6
November 2
10
15
29
Scope and Contents note
Includes two letters of November 2.
box 2, folder 8
October 1
3
9
20
22
26
28
29
30
box 2, folder 9
April 2
4
7
8
10
12
17
19
21
24
box 2, folder 9
May 1
9
11
15
17
21
24
27
30
box 2, folder 9
June 2
5
13
14
19
25
28
29
box 2, folder 9
August 7
8
10
11
14
17
20
27
31
box 2, folder 9
September 2
6
14
19
25
26
box 2, folder 9
December 2
6
14
21
24
27
29
box 2, folder 10
February 5
9
16
17
20
24
Scope and Contents note
Includes two letters of February 9, 1930.
box 2, folder 10
September 2
8
13
28
21
24
25
box 2, folder 10
November 4
5
7
8
9
12
17
23
27
box 2, folder 10
December 10
14
15
20
25
28
box 2, folder 11
June 1
5
11
17
20
26
Scope and Contents note
Includes two letters of June 1, 1931, and of June 17, 1931.
box 2, folder 11
July 3
7
12
17
20
26
30
31
box 2, folder 11
September 1
7
15
18
22
25
26
28
30
box 2, folder 12
November 6
8
15
24
Scope and Contents note
Includes two letters of November 15, 1932.
box 2, folder 16
November 2
3
5
7
12
20
24
30
box 2, folder 18
May 4
10
13
15
24
Scope and Contents note
Includes two letters of May 24, 1938.
box 2, folder 18
July 10
20
24
25
26
30
Scope and Contents note
Includes two letters of July 26, 1938.
box 2, folder 18
August 3
4
12
16
18
19
22