Archival criminal cases as a source on the history of the zionist movement in Russia in the 1920s

Abstract

Before Perestroika, the topic of Zionism in this country was negative. Only in the 1990s – early 2000s, there began to appear the works aimed at an objective study of Zionism in general, and in Russia, in particular. To objectively examine some aspects of the Zionist movement activities, the article analyzes archival criminal cases as a source on its history. Those cases were initiated by the Soviet security agencies when carrying out arrests of the movement activists. In most cases, the documents and archives of the Zionist organizations and parties were attached to these materials. All of them represent a unique historical source, access to which has been closed to researchers for a considerable time. These materials make it possible to trace the work of the Zionist movements during their particularly stressful years, when the Cheka–GPU–OGPU organs persecuted them alongside other counter-revolutionary parties. Historical and comparative historical methods were used as the main ones. These documents’ publication, promulgation and analysis will make it possible to replenish the source base on the socialist Zionism history in this country, to give an objective assessment of the events that have taken place, to present the previously unknown facts – all of which are currently acquiring special relevance.