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Moskvin (Oleg Nikolaevich) papers
2008C68
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Title: Oleg Nikolaevich Moskvin papers
Date (inclusive): 1962-1999
Collection Number: 2008C68
Contributing Institution: Hoover Institution Library and Archives
Language of Material:
Russian
Physical Description:
10 manuscript boxes, 2 oversize boxes
(7.5 Linear Feet)
Abstract: The papers are comprised of writings, correspondence, memoranda, government documents, and printed matter relating to civil
liberties and independent labor movements in the Soviet Union and post-Soviet Russia.
Creator:
Moskvin, Oleg Nikolaevich, 1954-
Physical Location: Hoover Institution Library & Archives
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.
For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library & Archives in 2008.
[Identification of item], Oleg Nikolaevich Moskvin papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
| 1954 September 4 | Born, Leningrad, Soviet Union |
| 1976 | Joined editorial board of the underground journal Demokrat |
| 1976 November 4 | Arrested by police for political activity |
| 1977 June 8 | Sentenced to psychiatric confinement in Leningrad and Kazan' for "socially dangerous" behavior |
| 1984 March 30 | Released from psychiatric confinement |
| 1984 December 3 | Began working as a painter at the "Kartonazhnik" factory in Leningrad |
| 1986 July 4 | First of repeated firings from "Kartonazhnik" for trade union activities |
| 1988 January 14-February 3 | Successful hunger strike for reinstatement at work |
| 1989 June 16 | Independent trade union "Nezavisimost'" established |
| 1992 January 16 | Final dismissal from "Kartonazhnik" |
| 1992 August 24 | Registered as journalist |
Scope and Content of Collection
The papers consist of correspondence, writings, government documents, photographs and printed matter relating to the development
of independent labor groups in late-Soviet Leningrad. Comprised primarily of correspondence between Moskvin and various labor
organizers and government officials, the papers illustrate the rise of Nezavisimost', one of the first independent trade unions
in the Soviet Union.
The bulk of the collection dates from 1986 through 1992, when Moskvin was active in the rapidly developing workers' movement
in Leningrad. In 1986, shortly after joining the labor group Rabochaia initsiativa, Moskin sent a series of reports to Pravda
criticizing factory management for misuse of property and the unfair awarding of bonuses. These reports, titled "Vzgliad iz
khudozhki," can be found in the
Writings series. Moskvin was subsequently fired and successfully filed a number of complaints, petitions, and cases for reinstatement.
These documents, which can be found in the
Court cases file, show the Soviet court system's evolving relationship with trade unions.
In June 1989, Moskvin and other labor organizers formed the independent trade union Nezavisimost', which emphasized workers'
control over wages and factory administration. Moskvin founded his own cell within the union, the Tsentr vzaimopomoshchi rabochikh
(Center for Workers' Mutual Aid), documents of which can be found in the
Labor movement files. The TsVR agitated on behalf of factory workers across Leningrad who had been fired for political activities.
Moskvin's interest in the use of psychiatry as a tool for political repression is reflected in the
Subject file, which includes articles and correspondence regarding psychiatric practices in the Soviet Union. The Subject file also documents
Soviet and post-Soviet elections in Leningrad and St. Petersburg, particularly through the lens of Gennadiĭ Kravchenko, a
Rabochaia initsiativa activist elected to the Leningrad Soviet. Newspapers, correspondence, and electoral flyers reflect the
multi-party democratic movement in the city.
Related Article
Temkina, Anna A. "The Workers' Movement in Leningrad, 1986-91."
Soviet Studies 44 (1992): 209-236. PURL: www.jstor.org/stable/152023
The collection is organized into seven series: Biographical file, Correspondence, Court cases files, Labor movement documents,
Writings, Subject file, and Newspapers
Nezavisimost' records, 1989-2001, Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Russian independent trade union publications collection, 1989-1999, Hoover Institution Library & Archives
SMOT (Svobodnoe mezhprofessional'noe ob'edinenie trudiashchikhsia) records, 1988-1998, Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Labor movement -- Russia (Federation)
Dissenters -- Soviet Union
Civil rights -- Soviet Union
Labor movement -- Soviet Union