A compendium of translations of representative documents from several once-closed Soviet/Russian archives. Sheds new light on the structure & workings of the world's longest-lived totalitarian state, the character & intentions of Vladimir Lenin, & the difficult history of U.S.-Soviet relations from the Revolution until the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Based on the exhibition at the Library of Congress in June & July 1992, the book presents 343 documents on a broad range of subjects, with commentary to make their significance clear. Most of the documents have been translated in their entirety. List of abbreviations & terms.

To many people, Russia remains as enigmatic today as it was during the Iron Curtain era. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the country had an opportunity to face its tortured past. Here, Brent asks - why didn't this happen? To answer such a question, he draws on 15 years of unprecedented access to high level Soviet archives. He shows readers a Russia where, in 1992, women sold used toothbrushes on the street to survive, yet now the shops are filled with luxury goods. Brent encounters Stalin's spectre through these changes and takes readers deep inside his archives.

In a timely re-examination of the origins of the system which fell apart so dramatically in 1991, this book deals with the policies of the Soviets towards the non-Russian nationalities of the former Russian Empire. Making extensive use of previously unavailable material from the Soviet archives, Jeremy Smith explores the attempts of the Bolsheviks to promote the development of minority nationalities in the Soviet context, through a combination of political, cultural and educational measures, and looks at the disputes surrounding the creation of the Soviet Union.