The Internal Affairs Agencies of the Soviet State in the Period of Stalinism in the Context of Russian Historiography

The article examines Russian historiography related to the history of the internal affairs agencies in the period of Stalinism. Based on the analysis of publications by Soviet and modern Russian historians, it describes the main stages, problems and results of studying the history of the special age...

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Main Author: Alexander Kuzminykh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cherepovets State University 2019-03-01
Series:Historia provinciae: журнал региональной истории
Subjects:
Online Access:http://en.hpchsu.ru/archived-issues/the-journal-of-regional-history-v-3-no-1/the-internal-affairs-agencies-of-the-soviet-state-in-the-period-of-stalinism-in-the-context-of-russi/
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author Alexander Kuzminykh
author_facet Alexander Kuzminykh
author_sort Alexander Kuzminykh
collection DOAJ
description The article examines Russian historiography related to the history of the internal affairs agencies in the period of Stalinism. Based on the analysis of publications by Soviet and modern Russian historians, it describes the main stages, problems and results of studying the history of the special agencies of NKVD (the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs or – Narodnyi Komissariat Vnutrennikh Del – abbreviated NKVD) and MVD (the Ministry of Internal Affairs or – Ministerstvo Vnutrennikh Del – abbreviated MVD), or simply the NKVD-MVD agencies, of the Stalin era and their role in the implementation of the repressive policy conducted by the Soviet state. The author concludes that during the Soviet period, the attempts to objectively study the history of law enforcement agencies and their role in the life of Soviet society were problematic due to the lack of any documentary base because of confidentiality of the departmental archives, as well as ideological control over the historical science. The post-Soviet period became a ‘breakthrough’ in the research of the history related to the internal affairs agencies of the Stalin era. The change in the nature of Russian historiography and its turn towards the coverage of difficult and ambiguous aspects in the development of the Soviet society had a favourable effect on increasing the scientific objectivity whilst studying the history of the internal affairs agencies of the Soviet state.
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spelling doaj.art-16e10a26f1a24d26b62587cf334211932022-12-22T01:16:26ZengCherepovets State UniversityHistoria provinciae: журнал региональной истории2587-83442019-03-013114621110.23859/2587-8344-2019-3-1-3The Internal Affairs Agencies of the Soviet State in the Period of Stalinism in the Context of Russian HistoriographyAlexander Kuzminykh 0Vologda Institute of Law and Economics Federal Penitentiary Service, Vologda, RussiaThe article examines Russian historiography related to the history of the internal affairs agencies in the period of Stalinism. Based on the analysis of publications by Soviet and modern Russian historians, it describes the main stages, problems and results of studying the history of the special agencies of NKVD (the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs or – Narodnyi Komissariat Vnutrennikh Del – abbreviated NKVD) and MVD (the Ministry of Internal Affairs or – Ministerstvo Vnutrennikh Del – abbreviated MVD), or simply the NKVD-MVD agencies, of the Stalin era and their role in the implementation of the repressive policy conducted by the Soviet state. The author concludes that during the Soviet period, the attempts to objectively study the history of law enforcement agencies and their role in the life of Soviet society were problematic due to the lack of any documentary base because of confidentiality of the departmental archives, as well as ideological control over the historical science. The post-Soviet period became a ‘breakthrough’ in the research of the history related to the internal affairs agencies of the Stalin era. The change in the nature of Russian historiography and its turn towards the coverage of difficult and ambiguous aspects in the development of the Soviet society had a favourable effect on increasing the scientific objectivity whilst studying the history of the internal affairs agencies of the Soviet state.http://en.hpchsu.ru/archived-issues/the-journal-of-regional-history-v-3-no-1/the-internal-affairs-agencies-of-the-soviet-state-in-the-period-of-stalinism-in-the-context-of-russi/the ussrstalinisminternal affairs agenciesrepressionsrussian historiography
spellingShingle Alexander Kuzminykh
The Internal Affairs Agencies of the Soviet State in the Period of Stalinism in the Context of Russian Historiography
Historia provinciae: журнал региональной истории
the ussr
stalinism
internal affairs agencies
repressions
russian historiography
title The Internal Affairs Agencies of the Soviet State in the Period of Stalinism in the Context of Russian Historiography
title_full The Internal Affairs Agencies of the Soviet State in the Period of Stalinism in the Context of Russian Historiography
title_fullStr The Internal Affairs Agencies of the Soviet State in the Period of Stalinism in the Context of Russian Historiography
title_full_unstemmed The Internal Affairs Agencies of the Soviet State in the Period of Stalinism in the Context of Russian Historiography
title_short The Internal Affairs Agencies of the Soviet State in the Period of Stalinism in the Context of Russian Historiography
title_sort internal affairs agencies of the soviet state in the period of stalinism in the context of russian historiography
topic the ussr
stalinism
internal affairs agencies
repressions
russian historiography
url http://en.hpchsu.ru/archived-issues/the-journal-of-regional-history-v-3-no-1/the-internal-affairs-agencies-of-the-soviet-state-in-the-period-of-stalinism-in-the-context-of-russi/
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