The authorities’ interruption into family life of special exiles in the postwar period

Abstract

The essay analyses the problem of the authorities’ interruption into family life of so called special exiles in the postwar period. The approaches of the Soviet leaders and the heads of NKVD structures to the problem of special exiles families’ reunion are under investigation. The author shows how the official limitation of freedom of movement led to numerous unofficial limitations of special exiles’ rights, particularly their right for family life. The comparison of official status of special exiles and their factual status allows to recognize a cryptic nature of the Soviet totalitarian state. The author demonstrates the gap between formal rights of special exiles and their real discrimination, and pays attention to different unofficial barriers which regulated exiles’ life. The author argues that an individual did not have any value for the Soviet political leaders as well as for local officials.