Letter-writing and the State
Abstracts
This article locates major central archives of reader letters to early Soviet newspapers (1924-1933), describes the practice of letter-writing to state authorities, and analyses the potential uses of letters to the press as historical sources. The author argues that the practice of writing letters to newspapers and other public institutions in the U.S.S.R. was shaped by state authorities for their own purposes, including gathering intelligence on popular moods, monitoring lower levels of the bureaucracy, and facilitating the distribution of goods and privileges. Because the practice of letter-writing to authority occurred within a framework of state control, letters to the newspaper are excellent sources on the interaction between the Soviet state and its subjects. They do not, however, provide a clear window on the private opinions and beliefs of Soviet subjects.
References
Bibliographical reference
Matthew E. Lenoe, “Letter-writing and the State”, Cahiers du monde russe, 40/1-2 | 1999, 139-170.
Electronic reference
Matthew E. Lenoe, “Letter-writing and the State”, Cahiers du monde russe [Online], 40/1-2 | 1999, Online since 15 January 2007, connection on 29 March 2024. URL: http://journals.openedition.org/monderusse/8; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/monderusse.8
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