ArcheoBiblioBase: Archives in Russia: C-7

Operativnyi arkhiv Sluzhby vneshnei razvedki RF (Arkhiv SVR Rossii)

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Archives of Russia (2000), pp. 303-306; Arkhivy Rossii (1997), pp. 240-42.

c-115. Poleshchuk, Andrei. “Arkhivy rossiiskoi razvedki: Dostup k nim mozhet poluchit' daleko ne kazhdyi.” Nezavisimaia gazeta, 20 December 1995, no. 144 (1071), pp. 6. (Lib: DLC; IU; MH).
(interview with SVR Archival Division Chief A.P. Belozerov).

The first revealing press interview with the SVR archival chief regarding the functions and holdings of the archive, justifying the lack of research access and warning the public not to expect many revelations.

c-116. Comrade Kryuchkov's Instructions: Top Secret Files on KGB Foreign Operations, 1975–1985. Edited by C. Andrew and O. Gordievsky. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1993. xviii, 240 p. + plates. (Lib: DLC; MH).
        BRITISH EDS.: Instructions from the Centre: Top Secret Files on KGB Foreign Operations, 1975–1985. Edited by Christopher Andrew and Oleg Gordievsky. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1991. xv, 238 p. + [8] plates. (Lib: DLC; MH)
        ——. London: Sceptre, 1993 (from 1991). 327 p. + [8] plates. (Lib: DLC; MH).

The volume itself features a sensational sampling of top-secret documents from the KGB First Chief Directorate (foreign intelligence), reflecting operations during the decade when Gorbachev rose to power, with helpful commentary and annotations, all of which provide a unique orientation for researchers. The documents earlier appeared in Britain under the alternative title. Appendix A, “The KGB Files and Archives” (pp. 225–30), provides an orientation regarding KGB archival practices. Appendix B, “Residency Records and Communications with the Centre” (pp. 231–35), a directive from First Directorate Chief, Vladimir Kriuchkov, describes procedures for reports to Moscow from foreign residencies and explains the levels of security classification. Part of the appended material presented in the Stanford publication was initially published in article form by Oleg Gordievsky, “The KGB Archives,” Intelligence and National Security 6 (1991), no. 1, pp. 7–14. The Stanford volume does not include the documents in the 1992 London supplement (c–116.1).

c-116.1. More ‘Instructions from the Centre': Top Secret Files on KGB Global Operations, 1975–1985. Edited by C. Andrew and O. Gordievsky. London: Frank Cass, 1992. xii, 130 p. (Lib: DLC; IU; MH).
Initially published as a separate volume in the series, Intelligence and National Security, vol. 7 (1992).

Includes additional documents, supplementing the earlier collection, but which were not included in the Stanford edition.

c-117. Andrew, Christopher; and Gordievsky, Oleg. KGB: The Inside Story of Its Foreign Operations from Lenin to Gorbachev. New York: Harper Collins, 1990. 776 p. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1990. (Lib: DLC; IU; MH).

A popularized but non-authoritative history of Soviet foreign intelligence operations. Although not specifically dealing with the archives, the volume includes some information about them. Includes detailed charts of the institutional transformation and internal organization of the successive Soviet intelligence agencies. The extensive bibliography includes references to still-classified Russian accounts.

c-118. Ocherki istorii rossiiskoi vneshnei razvedki: v shesti tomakh. Edited by E.M. Primakov. Moscow: Mezhdunarodnye otnosheniia, 1996–2006. (Lib: DLC; MH).
        Vol. 1: Ot drevneishikh vremen do 1917 goda. Compiled by O.K. Ivanov, A.N. Itskov, V.I. Savel'ev, et al. 1996. 239 p. Reprinted: 2006. 272 p.
        Vol. 2: 1917–1933 gody. Compiled by V.B. Barkovskii, S.M. Golubev, I.A. Damaskin, et al. 1997. 271 p. + plates. Reprinted: 2006. 304 p.
        Vol. 3: 1933–1941 gody. Compiled by A.I. Baidakov, S.M. Golubev, N.A. Ermakov, et al. 1997. 496 p. Reprinted: 2003. 496 p.
        Vol. 4: 1941–1945 gody. Compiled by A.I. Baidakov, V.B. Barkovskii, Iu.A. Volosov, et al. 1999. 695 p. Reprinted: 2003. 696 p.
        Vol. 5: 1945–1965 gody. Edited by S. Lebedev. 2003. 768 p. Reprinted: 2004. 768 p.
        Vol. 6: 1966–2005 gody. Edited by L. Zamoiskii. 2006. 328 p.

A popularized history of Soviet foreign intelligence operations prepared by the SVR itself, planned for publication in six volumes. The series has no citations to archival documents but provides some authoritative data on agency history with identification of consecutive chiefs of operations.

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c-120. Sotskov, Lev Filippovich. Elektronnyi sbornik rassekrechennykh arkhivnykh dokumentov. Moscow. 1,425 p.
Electronic edition: http://svr.gov.ru/upload/26122016.pdf

c-121. Pribaltika i geopolitika, 1935–1945 gg.: Rassekrechennye dokumenty Sluzhby vneshnei razvedki Rossiiskoi Federatsii. Compiled by L.F. Sotskov. Moscow: Ripol Klassik, 2009. 464 p.

Brief annotation is available at: http://svr.gov.ru/book/2009/pribaltik....

c-122. Sekrety pol'skoi politiki, 1935–1945 gg.: Rassekrechennye dokumenty Sluzhby vneshnei razvedki Rossiiskoi Federatsii. Compiled by L.F. Sotskov. Moscow: Ripol Klassik, 2010. 512 p.

Brief annotation is available at: http://svr.gov.ru/book/2010/sekrety-p....

c-123. Agressiia: Rassekrechennye dokumenty Sluzhby vneshnei razvedki Rossiiskoi Federatsii, 1939–1941. Compiled by L.F. Sotskov. Moscow: Ripol Klassik, 2011. 576 p.

Brief annotationa is available at: http://svr.gov.ru/book/2011/agressiya....