Location

• Rīga Kurzemes prospekts 5, Latvia LV-1067
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Languages

• Russian

Name of collection

• Criminal files on persons accused by the Latvian SSR State Security Committee (KGB) on particularly hazardous crimes against the state LV_LVA_F 1986

Provenance and cultural activities

• After the Soviet occupation in June 1940, repressions against citizens began. Even before Latvia's annexation, numerous people were arrested and tried. By 10 July 1941, when all the territory of Latvia was occupied by German troops, more than 7,000 people had been arrested. In 1944, when the Soviet army reoccupied the country, the arrests began again. In 1945, the number of arrests reached 14,700, the highest number in any year of the occupation. The number of arrests and trials remained very high until 1952, but after Stalin's death Soviet repressive policy changed, and the number of arrests and trials was comparatively low. Between 1940 and 1986, around 47,000 people were arrested and tried. This figure does not include the victims of administrative deportations, such as those that were carried out on 14 June 1941 and 25 March 1949. The criminal files of victims of persecution were kept in the archives of the Latvian SSR KGB. The KGB was dissolved on 23 August 1991, and its trial records were transferred to the Prosecutor's Office. In 1996, the archive was transferred to the Latvian State Archives. Among people who were tried for real or imagined offences against the Soviet regime, many were members of the cultural elites of independent Latvia, people who actively resisted Soviet power by publishing or disseminating illegal publications, and people who were arrested and tried just for their opinions and independence of mind. The repressions also gravely affected members of religious confessions. Thus, the files of political prisoners give us a broad insight into many aspects of cultural opposition to the Soviet regime, from the disinclination to adopt Soviet ideology and cultural policy to active attempts to resist it. Since 1996, this collection of files of political prisoners has been used by researchers and by former political prisoners and their descendants. They have also been used in the preparation of exhibitions, and for making documentaries.

Description of content

• The collection contains almost 53,000 files about more than 47,000 people imprisoned by Soviet security institutions in 1940-1986, mainly for political reasons. Among the people tried for real or imaginary offences against the Soviet regime, many were members of cultural elites of independent Latvia, people who actively resisted Soviet power, by publishing or disseminating illegal publications, and people who were arrested and tried just for their opinions and independence of mind. The repressions also seriously affected members of religious confessions. Thus, the files of political prisoners give us a broad insight into many aspects of the cultural opposition to the Soviet regime, from the disinclination to adopt Soviet ideology and cultural policy to active attempts to resist it.

Content

• grey literature (regular archival documents such as brochures, bulletins, leaflets, reports, intelligence files, records, working papers, meeting minutes): 1000-

Operator(s)

• Latvian State Archive of the Latvian National Archives

Owner(s)

• Latvian SSR Committee for State Security (KGB)

Stakeholder(s) of the collection

• Bambals, Ainārs

Geographical scope of recent operation

• national

Topics

• human rights movements
• national movements (patriotic opposition)
• survivors of persecutions under authoritarian/totalitarian regimes

Founder(s)

• Latvian SSR Committee for State Security (KGB)

Date of founding

• 1940

Place of founding

• Riga, Latvia
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Creator(s) of content

• Latvian SSR Committee for State Security (KGB)

Collector(s)

• Latvian SSR Committee for State Security (KGB)

Important events in the history of the collection

• Acquisition of the collection by the Latvian National Archives

Featured items

• Criminal files on Kurts Fridrihsons and other members of the so-called French Group in 1951

Access type

• completely open to the public

Part of network

• The National Archives of Latvia

Author(s) of this page

• Bleiere, Daina

References

Bambals, Ainārs, interview by Bleiere, Daina , April 03, 2017. COURAGE Registry Oral History Collection