ExSov

The ExSov project aims to explore Soviet attempts at “normalization” (a term encompassing both coercive and integrative policies) within territories that endured extreme violence during and after World War II. ExSov primarily focuses on the regions and states annexed by the Soviet Union in 1939-1940 following the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. These “blood lands” (Snyder) or “lands of the far reaches” (Gousseff) experienced a continuous cycle of violence since 1914, reaching its zenith during the Second World War. However, this violence did not cease in 1944-45; these regions continued to suffer population displacements and punitive mass deportations. Prisoners and deportees from the western and southern regions were exiled to Siberia and, in large numbers, to Kazakhstan, where archives are rich and accessible. Kazakhstan will thus serve as a pivotal observatory for studying the persistence of ties among deportees and prisoners, even in exile, and the trajectories of their return. The core comparative framework of the project focuses on ashared Soviet imperial experience, yet one that unfolded through various historical paths. To enrich this comparison, case studies from the North Caucasus will also be included. This region, though understudied, was subjected to both Nazi violence and Soviet mass deportations (“punished peoples”), albeit in different ways than in the western confines. The legal proceedings against those suspected of collaborating with the Nazis, as well as the fight against resistance groups like the Baltic “forest brothers” or the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA)/Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), were accompanied by widespread deportations. Tens of thousands of families were sent to Siberia or Kazakhstan. Following Stalin's death in 1953, an initial wave of releases allowed some deportees and detainees to return to their regions of origin. These returns, while filled with hope for many, also sparked fears, opposition and obstacles within the local authorities. They worried that the returnees could reignite resistance movements, potentially destabilizing the ongoing “normalization” process. The brutality of the war and post-war period exacerbated complex social, ethnic and interpersonal conflicts at the local level – conflicts that persist until today and need to be reconstructed. These tensions continued to influence Soviet society until the collapse of the state, with victims of the repression demanding recognition for the harm they had suffered. In these regions, the post-war period is often viewed either as Sovietization or occupation. However, neither term adequately captures the ambivalence of the return to a semblance of peace. To illuminate the paradoxes of this experience and precisely examine its economic (task 1), micro-social (task 2) and collective memorial (task 3) dimensions, this project will focus on the local level. By exploring police, judicial and administrative archives, this research will engage with a variety of private, written, oral and audio-visual sources. This project will also examine how villages and neighborhood relations can provide a lens for understanding the dynamics of post-war society. The innovation of this project lies in its focus on the local and relational dimensions of mass violence, covering the period from 1945 to 1991. It engages in a reflection on the consequences of mass crimes for the destruction or resilience of local communities – a subject largely neglected in the study of the Soviet experience. The project situates this historical inquiry within a broader discussion of law, justice and governance, while also considering personal experiences and the collective trauma of the people involved.