PROFESSOR YA. M. ZAKHER: 15 YEARS IN KRASNOYARSK FORCED LABOR CAMP (ON THE BASIS OF ARCHIVAL SOURCES)

Abstract

Background. Yakov Mikhailovich Zakher (1893–1963), an outstanding historian and representative of a younger generation of the “École russe”, well-known in the West, a prominent specialist in the history of the left-wing radical movement “les Enragés” in revolutionary France of the late 18th century, is very little known in Russia in contrast to European countries, USA, China, Australia. Despite the significance of the scientific contribution, only a few scientific community’ representatives turned their attention to the formation of a complete picture of the life and works of an outstanding Soviet scientist. Most often, historiography mentioned his works. At the same time, a much smaller number of researchers were interested in the years of the Soviet historian’s life. The blind spot in Zakher’ biography was the tragic 15 years of imprisonment in the Gulag – from 1938 to 1953. Only recently the documents on the second criminal case against Zakher have been discovered in the Archives of the Federal Security Service of Russia in Krasnoyarsk region. It was those documents that allowed to shed light on the segment of one and a half dozen years, which were previously hidden from both relatives and students and researchers. Materials and methods. The interrogation protocols, indictments, decisions, testimonies, petitions contained in the archival criminal case allow not only to evaluate the progress of the historian’s criminal trial, to analyze the charge and the sentence itself, but also to determine its closest encirclement based on the testimonies of Ya. M. Zakher, identify personality traits, and the unwavering attitude. The historian’s testimonies revealed not ordinary prisoners among his friends and acquaintances, but outstanding public and political figures, high-ranking civil servants, and cultural and art workers. Results. The study of the documents made it possible to significantly supplement the picture of the camp’s life, presented in the scientists’ works and works of representatives of the Russian human rights society “Memorial”. Conclusions. The study opened up new opportunities and prospects in studying not only the life of one outstanding scientist, but also showing a whole generation whose professional and personal development took place at the time of tremendous upheavals in Russia.

Keywords

• soviet historical science
• ya. m. zakher
• krasnoyarsk forced labor camp