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September 5, 1968

Yurii Andropov, Nikolai Shchelokov, and Mikhail Malyarov to the CPSU CC

This document was made possible with support from Blavatnik Family Foundation

 

Secret

 

 

To the CPSU CC

 

 

Recently, especially in connection with the events in Czechoslovakia, [Pavel] LITVINOV, [Larisa] BOGORAZ-BRUKHMAN, and several of their like-minded accomplices have once again stepped up their malevolent activity.

 

On 25 August of this year at around noon on Red Square, in accordance with a long-arranged conspiracy, they made an attempt to stage a protest demonstration using banners with inscriptions “Hands off Czechoslovakia!” “For your freedom and ours!” and “Down with the occupiers!” in Russian and “Long live a free and independent Czechoslovakia!” in Czech.  With the public’s participation, the malevolent action was promptly suppressed.  Among the participants in this provocation on Red Square were LITVINOV, who is unemployed; BOGORAZ-BRUKHMAN, a senior research fellow at the All-Union Scientific-Research Institute of Technical Information, Classification, and Coding of the Committee of Standards; [Viktor] FAINBERG, a tour guide at the Pavlov Palace in Leningrad; [Natal’ya] GORBANEVSKAYA, an engineer at the State Institute for the Design of Theatrical and Entertainment Facilities; [Konstantin] BABITSKII, a junior research fellow at the Institute of Russian Language and Literature of the Soviet Academy of Sciences; Tat’yana] BAEVA, a graduate student at the Historical-Archival Institute; [Inna] KORKHOVA, a research fellow at the Institute for World Economy and International Relations; [Maiya] RUSAKOVSKAYA, an expert at the All-Union Institute for Patent Expertise; and [Vladimir] DREMLYUGA and [Vadim] DELAUNAY, who are unemployed.

 

Eleven people were detained in connection with the anti-Soviet outburst, five of whom were released after interrogation at the police station.  LITVINOV, BOGORAZ-BRUKHMAN, FAINBERG, DREMLYUGA, DELAUNAY, and BABITSKII were arrested and are being held criminally accountable by the Moscow procurator under Article 190-3 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR (organization or active participation in group actions violating public order).

 

It is proposed that in relation to BOGORAZ-BRUKHMAN and LITVINOV the court sentence them to exile in a remote area of the country.

 

The Committee of State Security, the Ministry for Preservation of Public Order, and the Procurator of the USSR take additional measures to prevent possible hostile actions on the part of anti-social elements.

 

[Yurii] ANDROPOV [Nikolai] SHCHELOKOV [Mikhail] MALYAROV

 

5 September 1968

  No. 2102-A

 

This memorandum, signed by Yurii Andropov, the chairman of the Soviet Committee of State Security (KGB); Nikolai Shchelokov, the Minister of Public Order (whose ministry was renamed the Ministry of Internal Affairs in late November 1968); and Mikhail Molyarov, the Procurator of the USSR, was sent to the ruling Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) eleven days after the demonstration in Red Square against the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia. The document lays out the basic facts of the case as viewed by the KGB and the CPSU. The document mentions the names of the eight activists who were in Red Square as well as two who helped with planning but were not actually in Red Square, Inna Korkhova and Maiya Rusakovskaya. Natal’ya Gorbanevskaya, one of the eight, was detained but released because she had recently given birth. However, a year later she was arrested in connection with her involvement and sentenced to a harsh term in a psychiatric prison.



Document Information

Source

RGANI, F. 80, Op. 1, D. 513, Ll. 56-57. Obtained and translated by Mark Kramer.

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2018-08-24

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188128

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