In the Labyrinth of the KGB: Ukraine's Intelligentsia in the 1960s-1970s

The book explores the generation of the sixties and seventies in Kharkiv, Soviet Ukraine, focusing on the KGB operations against the dissident milieu and the interactions between Ukrainians, Jews, and Russians. It demonstrates that the KGB unintentionally facilitated transnational and intercultural links among the Kharkiv multi-ethnic community of writers, leading to the emergence of a distinct bohemian group with shared aesthetic and political values. The 1960s-1970s were a period of intense KGB operations, aimed at disrupting the community of intellectuals and fragmenting friendships and support among Ukrainians, Russians, and Jews.

Format: Hardback
Length: 370 pages
Publication date: 15 February 2022
Publisher: Lexington Books

This captivating book delves into the vibrant and tumultuous era of the sixties and seventies in Kharkiv, Soviet Ukraine, a melting pot of writers who lived through the transformative periods of the Thaw, de-Stalinization, and re-Stalinization. With a keen focus on the KGB's operations against the dissident milieu, the author explores the intricate web of relationships between Ukrainians, Jews, and Russians within the movement, encompassing their personal friendships, formal and informal interactions, and their resilience in the face of repression and arrests. Through meticulous research, the study unveils a remarkable finding: the KGB inadvertently played a pivotal role in fostering transnational and intercultural connections among the diverse Kharkiv multi-ethnic community of writers, resulting in a mutual enrichment of their artistic and intellectual endeavors.

Post-Khrushchev Kharkiv emerges as a complex political space and a site of state violence, driven by the urgent need to combat Ukrainian nationalism and Zionism, which were major targets during the 1960s and 1970s. Despite their diverse cultural and social backgrounds, the Kharkiv literati can be recognized as a distinct bohemian group, united by shared aesthetic and political values that emerged during the de-Stalinization era under Khrushchev. Archival documents, diaries, and memoirs provide compelling evidence of the intensity of KGB operations during this period, characterized by "active measures" aimed at disrupting the intellectual community and fragmenting friendships, bonds, and support among Ukrainians, Russians, and Jews along ethnic lines both domestically and internationally.

The book sheds light on the complex dynamics that shaped the lives of these writers and their communities, highlighting the struggles, triumphs, and enduring friendships that emerged amidst the political turmoil. It serves as a valuable contribution to the understanding of the Soviet Union's cultural and political landscape during a pivotal period of history, offering a nuanced perspective on the interplay between state repression, intellectual activism, and the enduring human spirit.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781793608925